Kill to Live, or Die and Kill
by Croxs101
Summary: Hallie Travern is all alone when her world comes crashing down. Canibals otherwise known as Walkers, begin to take over the world, threatening to kill everyone Hallie has ever known. She unexpectedly finds someone to battle the dead with, finding friendship where she never thought she would.
1. Chapter 1

It was such a simple task. Go to the store and grab a few things. She knew it was risky, with all the strange stories on the news, the pandemic was bound to spread to the small town where Hallie grew up. But the few things she needed were essential.  
Hallie had just finished checking out and was heading for the automatic doors. She didn't even see it coming until the creature grasped a younger girls hair, standing behind her. The short, skinny girl screeched, her hands desperately trying to free her blonde hair. Her eyes had pure fear in them, the same fear Hallie knew too well. Screams erupted from all around, everyone terrified of the monster.  
She quickly searched the checkout counter looking for something to knock the hideous creature off of her. The handle of a broom stuck out behind the register and she snatched it. She swung with all the stregth that her long arms could muster and hit it in the head. It let out a loud roar and staggered back, releasing the girl. But Hallie didnt stop there,running up to it she pushed it to the ground. Her hands gripped the broom harder and she repeatedly rammed the handle into its skull. Each time the broom collided with its head, dark blood and brain matter spewed out.  
It finally lay still and Hallie breathed heavily, trying to regain the breath that she had lost. The screams that came from the crowd that had gathered, became louder. A mother was shielding her son from the gore while next to them was an man holding a terrified woman. How innocent they looked.  
She looked at the face of the walker, It was a man a few years older than herself. There was still a bit of handsomeness to his sickly gray face and his t-shirt was tattered, with flesh showing on his shoulder. Hallie knew she had seen him before, but couldn't remember when or where. It was definitely before he had turned. She slowly stood up and turned back to the blonde girl who was attacked, her curly hair was in a tangled mess but fine other wise.  
A man with a beer belly started asking questions. Hallie was still in shock and couldn't comprehend anything he was saying. She felt her heart violently beating almost out of her chest. Hallie focused on one of the many questions he was shooting at her. "I'm fine, she breathlessly answered.  
"How did you know how to handle the..." He hesitated searching for the word, "thing?"  
It took every bit of effort she had left to answer the wide eyed man, while not panicking.  
"Experience", Hallie shakily breathed.  
A shocked expression crept onto his wrinkly face, it was obviously he had never seen one before. He only nodded then, turning back to the girl. Hallie quickly grabbed the things She bought and stormed out to dark blue ford truck, in effort to escape the fear that would soon be overwhelming.  
She climbed in and stared out the windshield and went over what happened, finally taking it all in. Hallie put the key in the ignition and turned it when she realized her hands had the dark blood of the walker on them. The young woman's breath came heavy puffs again as her head fell in her small hands, trying to regain the self control she lost. Her small body started shaking from the same fear she had seen in the blonde girls eyes. It was never easy for her to kill them, they were once human after all. The blood and guts didn't bother her like most people but... Hallie shook her head. This was not helping, she needed to stop thinking about it.  
The grocery store would be shut down by tonight, and by tomorrow most of the people in the town will have left. They would try to find somewhere safe, to protect the ones they loved. Hallie didn't have that problem, she was not an important person in her family anymore.  
She snapped out of her thoughts and started the truck. Her body was still shaking but she had to get home before the sun went down. Hallie wanted to catch the news, to see how far the horrific events had spread. The drive home seemed longer than normal, while not even paying attention to the road. She couldn't get the thought of the undead creature out of her mind. The truck pulled into the drive way and parked in front of the apartment building. She grabbed the bags of supplies and climbed the stairs to the building. Her eyes scanned the room once inside, everything exactly the way it was left. The first thing she did was reach for the remote and turn on the TV. The screen flashed on and The weather man was pointing at storms on the screen that would be arriving in two days.  
Hallie walked to the kitchen and pulled out a pan, when she remembered her blood stained hands. She went down the hall to the bathroom and saw long brown hair in a braid that had become loose. The still panic stricken face had spots of deep red splattered across the defined cheekbones while her light blue eyes still had a hint of fear in them. That fear was never going to go away, forever stuck in her mind, constantly haunting.  
She sighed and put her hands in the warm water from the faucet, scrubbing the blood off her tan skin. She took a washcloth and gently rubbed her face until red. She rested her elbows on the sink with her head in her hands. She took deep breaths trying to clear her clouded mind.  
Hallie couldn't handle breaking down again, not of she wanted to get through this horrible mess. She stood up straight, looking at herself once more before walking out. Hallie went to the kitchen and started cooking eggs while absently listening to the TV.  
"A walker was spotted and killed this afternoon at Lexington grocery store. The walker had reportedly grabbed middle schooler, Macey Parkson, but was quickly killed with a broom by an anonymous woman before any injuries were made." Hallie sat down on the worn out couch, crossing her legs with the eggs resting in her lap while listening to the rest of the report.  
"The supermarket has closed down until further notice. This is the first sighting of walkers in Texas, and will hopefully be the last. There has been no response from Governor Valton yet." She shut off the TV and slowly finished the eggs. It was Thursday and there was still homework that was due tomorrow. Hallie was desperate to keep her mind off of the past weeks events, so she submerged herself with US History and Geometry.  
All Hallie knew was this would definitely not be the last time she would see walkers. No, this was only the beginning.

A few days had past since the grocery store incident, and at least half of the residents had left town. Hallie was determined to go on with life as if nothing had happened, She had to hold out in this town for as long as possible. There was an ongoing investigation on who killed the walker at the supermarket, but they would never find the killer in time.  
It was Tuesday and the schools were still running. She didn't know how long the school would hold out, since most of the people who had left town had kids. The High school was almost deserted, with barely ten students in each of her classes. The school day dragged on and on. The few friends that Hallie had, fled for safety, leaving her with no one to talk to. Not that she talked much, she was more of a listener. She learned from her family that saying too much would end up killing you.  
"Hallie?" A low voice behind her asked.  
"Yeah," Hallie said, not looking up from her English assignment.  
"Why didn't you leave? I mean, you don't live with your parents anymore, so you could've picked up and left without a problem,"The voice belonged to a skinny boy who sat a few seats behind Hallie.  
"I don't have a reason to leave, Carson. It's not like i'd be much safer anywhere else." Hallie explained to him. Carson's parents divorced a few years ago and he lived with his dad. Hallie had been there to comfort him when he was upset over his parents, and Carson was a good friend to her throughout middle school. They had grown quite close but upon entering highschool, something unspoken had driven a wedge between them. She didn't think about it too much, Hallie figured if they were meant to be close, fate would take over. She never tried to force anything on anyone.  
"Oh," Carson almost whispered. He let the conversation drop and went back to his paper.  
All of a sudden a low growl came from the hallway then a much louder roar was heard. The dreaded fear crept up her spine to her neck. She ran to the door, and silently gasped at the sight. Two small walkers were ripping away at the flesh of a girl.  
"Oh God," Mrs. Doser, the English teacher moaned. It was obvious on her face that she didn't handle blood well. A crowd of students gathered around the door. Hallie took in a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what she knew was going to happen. Pushing all thoughts back, she glanced around the room until she spotted a meter stick in the corner. Hallie pushed through the group of students and gripped it. She held it to her chest and took in one last breath. Hallie returned to the door and slowly turned the knob, with the meter stick in hand.

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So this is my first story. It's obviously about the zombie apocalypse. I'm hooked on The Walking Dead and I want to I guess give my take on it. The first is just a set up for the next few chapters. I promise it gets a lot better! Please review! Thanks


	2. Chapter 2-Outbreak

A hand grasped Hallie's arm stopping her from turning the knob any farther.  
"What the hell are you doing!" Carson yelled.  
"Shhhhh! If they hear us, then we're all dead! I can kill those two, now let me go!" Hallie whispered. She broke free of his grip, and returned to slowly turning the door knob. Another bigger walker limped over to feed on the corpse. Carson stepped in front of Hallie, blocking the door. She avoided his eyes and tried maneuvering her body around him.  
"I can't let you go! Those things will kill you!" His voice sounded desperate.  
"No they won't! I know what I'm doing. This isn't the first time I've done this!" She snapped.  
He looked dumbfounded and Hallie quickly pushed past him. She took a step outside and looked down the hall.  
Other walkers were trudging through the hallways, but Hallie focused on the largest one feasting on the girl. The others didn't even look up from their meal. She took in a ragged breath and raised her arms with the meter stick in hand.  
The meter stick came crashing down, piercing into the big walker's skull. Dark blood gushed and the other two walkers stood up, and gaped at Hallie with lifeless eyes. Both started growling and limped hastily to her. The smaller one with long stringy hair that had faded to gray, reached her arms out. Hallie stabbed the roaring walker aiming for the brain.  
Her flimsy weapon snapped, still stuck in the head of the walker. The last of the bloody creatures clumsily ran into Hallie, desperately snapping its teeth together to gorge on her flesh. She had no weapon, no way to protect herself. Her heart violently thudded inside of her chest and the panic filled her mind, taking the place of all logical thoughts. The walker was getting closer and closer to ripping through her skin, only being restrained by Hallie's arms.  
Abruptly, something shoved the walker off of Hallie, and it tumbled onto the ground. She whipped her head around and Carson was standing by her side wide eyed, with a chair in his hands. He didn't hesitate to attack the walker, bringing the chair smashing into his target. He didn't stop beating the Walker until there was nothing left of the once human face.  
Hallie forced the fear away as she stared at the four bodies in the hallway. Carson was kneeling down next to the walker, breathing heavily. He craned his neck to look at Hallie, sadness had replaced the fear in his eyes.  
"That was Valerie," he said through clenched teeth. His eyes were glancing at the girl, who the walkers devoured. Valerie was Carson's younger sister. They had always shared a closer bond than most siblings, helping each other through their parents divorce made their kinship unbreakable. He washed away all traces of sadness and replaced it with blazing fury. He stood up and marched towards the walkers down the hall, carrying the chair in front of him. He strode up to a crawling rotter and bashed in its head with his foot.  
Hallie still stood next to Valerie's corpse in shock. Every one of the undead she had seen killed or even killed herself, she had never personally known them but that all changed with the half eaten girl lying before her. Her body began to violently shake.  
'No!,' Hallie thought to herself. 'I can't do this now!' She watched Carson as a walker threw its self onto him, but he was quick and pushed it to the wall. He rammed the chair into its neck, missing the brain. It's arms were thrashing, trying to reach his blood. A group walkers hobbled around the corner and approached Carson rapidly. Hallie's eyes widened at the increasing number of the pack.  
"Carson!" She screamed. She raced to protect him, but all her efforts were in vain. A walker clamped down on his shoulder, shooting blood everywhere. He wailed in pain as more and more attacked him and Hallie stopped in her tracks, horrified. Tears welled in her eyes, but she strained to hold them back. She knew she had to get out while she had the chance.  
Hallie turned around to the classroom and the students who were hiding there had disappeared. A window leading to outside was broken and Hallie swiftly climbed out. Her leg brushed up against a rugged piece of glass, tearing her skin. She suppressed a shriek, as blood gushed from the gash. She didn't look at her wound, but limped as fast as the pain would allow, heading for her truck.  
She finally reached the faded blue ford and fumbled through her jean pockets for the key. Hallie shoved the key in and pulled the door open. She hopped in the cab and shut the door behind her. Her breath came in heavy puffs as she inspected her leg. Panic swept through her whole body.  
Bright red blood poured from the gash, making her whole leg covered in the sticky fluid. Hallie searched for anything to help slow the bleeding, her eyes caught a shirt and she quickly tied it to form a tourniquet. She realized it would need stitches, but something in her sensed doctors would not be easy to find anymore. She started the truck and headed for her apartment. Soon Lexington would be overrun from the school outbreak, and she had to get out before it was too late.  
She speeded the whole way home, forcing herself to not think about the horrible things she would begin to face once she left this town. She bursted into her apartment, and ran straight to her bedroom, ignoring the screaming pain from her leg. Hallie rapidly packed a backpack with random pieces of clothing. She pulled a handgun, that her father had insisted she have and two boxes of ammunition out of her dresser. She limped to her closet and carried a hunting rifle to the bed and set it next to her backpack. She grabbed other essentials and went to the kitchen. Hallie packed as much food and water as she could into another bag. She didn't know how long the food would last, but she figured she could stop at a store to get more when the time came.  
Her leg was becoming increasingly more painful with each step she took. The t-shirt was already soaked through, so she carefully removed the shirt. She dug through the bathroom cabinets until she found a bottle if peroxide and braced herself as she slowly poured it onto the wound. Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as the stinging elevated in pain. The stinging ever so slowly subsided and she wrapped a towel into a tourniquet.  
She carried her backpack, the food, and her guns, and walked out the door, without looking back.

As she drove down the highway, Hallie didn't think about where she was going cause she had no idea. She had no plan, she was just focusing on getting out of Lexington. She couldn't watch all the people she knew and grew up with turn into terrifying canibals. Defending herself from walkers would be easier when she didn't used to personally know them.  
Her silky light brown hair blew behind her from the rolled down window. Hallie turned on the radio to hopefully take her mind off of the school outbreak. A country station was playing and she kept increasing the volume until she couldn't hear herself think. But no matter how loud the radio was, it wouldn't stop her from picturing Carson being ripped apart. That was the exact reason why she wanted to kill those walkers alone, so no one would get hurt. Instead he was dead, and she had no idea what happened to the other students on her class. Her mind flashed to her family. She prayed that they would have enough sense to escape before the whole town came victims to the dead.  
Hallie's mind was so wrapped up in her thoughts, despite the blaring radio that she almost didn't see the small group of walkers trudging across the road. She sucked in air and slammed on the brakes. Her truck was moving too fast and didn't have enough time to slow. Instinctively, she swerved off the road to avoid hitting the herd. Her truck flew into the ditch on the side of the road. It collided into a tree and Hallie's head smashed into the steering wheel.

All right so tell me what you think! I'll have Chapter 3 posted tomorrow. I'm still trying to get a hang of this so please tell me how to improve.


	3. Chapter 3-Company

Hallie's droopy eyes forced their way open. Her head throbbed and her leg was stinging. She reached up to touch her head and her fingers felt a bandage wrapped across her forehead. Confused, she sat up and looked around and took in her surroundings.  
She walls in some sort of building with wooden walls and a door on the far end. The only light was shining through the window beside her. She was sitting on a pile of blankets thy had been made into a bed. She stood up to look out the window and she was shocked at the sight. Hallie was above ground level, tree branches were scraping against the window. She was up in a tree house. On the ground was a fire pit with smoke rising from the ashes. In a tree nearby was a rope hanging from it. Her heart started pounding as her eyes followed to the end of it. A small walker was hanging from it's neck in a noose. It hung still with a puncture wound in the forehead. Her blood began to race with fear. There was only one question that struck her. Who? Who brought Hallie here? Who hung that walker up to a tree?  
Her head began to spin as she tried to remember how she got here. Her mind drew a blank. She searched for her guns and backpack and found them in the corner. Her leg had a fresh bandage on and the pain was much more bearable than before. She was still wearing the same clothes, so it was comforting to know no one had undressed her. She picked up her gun making sure it was loaded, it was. 10 rounds. She slung her backpack over her shoulders, grabbed the rifle and headed for the door. She wanted to find the stranger who did this.  
She opened the door and climbed the ladder to the ground. She took her pistol in her hands for defense. Trees surrounded her, completing concealing the tree house. She wearily walked to the fire pit. Hallie put her hand over the ashes emitting smoke, it was still hot so a fire had recently been put out.  
"How are you feeling?" A voice behind her asked. Hallie whipped around raising her pistol instinctively. Her gun was pointing at the chest of a man.  
"Woah, hold on!" He raised his arms, surrendering. He slowly started walking towards Hallie. "I just wanna check your stitches," he calmly explained.  
Hallie was sure he realized how confused she was, and he apparently knew how to handle it.  
"Stitches?" She asked, her voice cracking.  
"Yeah, your head was busted and your leg had a pretty deep cut. You really shouldn't be walking," The man advised. He was only about a foot away and his arms had relaxed back to his side.  
"Who are you?" Her voice was a little steadier now and her gun was still pointedly him.  
"Leo," he bluntly answered. Hallie's eyes searched him, only finding a knife attached to his belt loop. "You shouldn't fire a gun out here, it will attract more rotters," Leo said matter-of-factly. Hallie warily lowered her gun, knowing he was right. "Can I?" He asked, referring to her bandage.  
"Uhh," she hesitated, "I don't know." She wasn't just going to let him touch her, although he had obviously been close enough to give her stiches. He noticed her confusion and stepped back.  
"Maybe later. You hungry?" Leo pulled a rope over his head with a rabbit and squirrel hanging from it. "It's been awhile since you've eaten, two days actually," he said. Leo pulled out a box of matches from his backpack and lit one. He placed it into the fire pit onto fresh logs.  
She was really confused now. Two days? Had she been unconscious that long? She vaguely remembered the stray walker limping across the road and her truck crashing into the ditch.  
"How-How did you find me?" She shakily asked.  
"You know you never told me your name." He replied.  
"Hallie."  
"Well Hallie, let's eat, then ill answer your questions." He compromised.  
The two strangers ate in silence. Hallie had noticed Leo didn't look much older than herself. His light brown hair was cropped just above his bright blue eyes. His t-shirt slightly tugged on his torso, complimenting his muscles. He was certainly attractive, but not in way she was used to. All the boys in her school, basically all had the same look, as if in unison to each other. Leo was very different. He had a rugged yet strangely handsome appearance. She didnt dwell on that long though. Hallie took her last bite of rabbit and tossed the bones in the fire.  
"Alright, now tell me how you found me."  
Leo finished his bite and took a swig of water out of a canteen. "Ok," he handed her the canteen and she accepted willingly. "I saw you crash into that tree, and there were rotters surrounding you. You were unconscious and your head had hit the steering wheel. I pulled you out and brought you here," he finished quickly. That sounded pretty logical to Hallie, but still a little fishy.  
"Why are you out here? Living in a tree house?" She asked after a few seconds.  
"A lot has happened in two days," He muttered darkly, "the whole town became over run and this place is safe, for now at least."  
Leo avoided her eyes and watched the fire crackle, lighting up the now dark sky. She wondered how the town had been overran so fast, she expected it to hold out longer.  
"So," Leo said finally breaking the silence, "how much ammo do you have?"  
She racked her brain as she tried to remember. "One box for each gun, I think."  
He frowned. "That won't last long. I've already been through a full box just today. Tomorrow we can make a run into town and get some more. We need knives too."  
Hallie's eyes snapped up at him when he said 'we'. She didn't plan on staying with him. She'd rather go along on her way alone, she didn't want to have to keep up with anyone else.  
"Do you think I'm staying or something?" She retorted. Leo looked shocked, not expecting that.  
"Uh-I just thought you'd stay."  
"Why? I don't even know you, as far as I know you could be some rapist who did stuff to me while I was unconscious," she snapped.  
Leo scoffed. "I saved your life! The least you could do is help me get more ammo." He was now slightly angered, but not losing his temper. "You wouldn't get two miles on that leg anyway."  
She glared at him, but deep down she knew he was right. But she still didn't trust him. She didn't reply and just stared into the fire again.  
"I'll help you get more ammo, then I'm gone." She said after a while.  
"Fine." Even though Hallie wasn't looking at him, his voice sounded relieved. "You should probably get some sleep, I'll watch first than we can switch out. Is that good?" He asked.  
"Yeah, I guess." Leo stood up and put the fire out. He started to climb up the tree house, motioning for her to follow. Once both were up, Leo began to form two separate sleeping palates.  
"Can I check your stiches now?" He calmly asked, taking out a first aid kit. She only nodded and sat down on the pile of blankets. He sat down next to her and gently unwrapped the bandage on her head. His fingers hot on her skin, and made her realize how long it's been since someone has been this close to her.  
"You a doctor?" She questioned.  
"No, my dad was. He taught me basic stuff though."  
She didn't reply and let him finish. He cleaned the wound with a rag and poured a bit of rubbing alcohol on it. He left it unbandaged and moved on to her leg.  
"Thanks, I should have said it before. I'll make it up to you." She said.  
He only nodded, and she caught a small smile tilting the corners of his mouth upward.  
"Go to sleep. I'll wake you when it's your turn to watch." Leo said, rising to the window, placing a gun in his belt loop.  
She turned to her makeshift bed, and pulled the covers over her. She really was thankful that he had saved her. She knew that she wouldn't be alive if he hadn't. She had to find someway to make it up to him, if getting more ammo was the way to do it, she would help. Hallies eyes slowly shut and she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Leo had woken her up for watch then crashed onto his bed. He was asleep in seconds and Hallie quietly giggled at him. She picked up her pistol, though it would only cause more harm than good. If she saw one walker, she would kill it with a knife, not waste a bullet and attract more. She stood next to the window, looking up at the sky. Hallie didn't know how long it had been since she had looked up at the vast sky. Ever since she was little, it had been a dream of hers to become an astronomer. She was intrigued by the pool of darkness that was lit up by millions of stars. She had even gotten a telescope for her 12th birthday and used it every night, eventually she memorized most of the constellations.  
Her family had always made fun of her unrealistic dream, their constant banter and badgering was one reason she was desperate to move out. Hallie hoped that her siblings and parents had made it out in one piece. She knew she would most likely never see them again, and that thought made her heart ache. Without much luck, she forced herself to think about something else. The night dragged on, but the sun slowly rose up from the horizon, making Hallie see spots with its blinding rays.  
Leo sat up from his bed, opening his eyes. He reached his muscular arms in the air to stretch.  
"Anything interesting happen?" He drowsily mumbled.  
Hallie looked at her watch, that told her it was 8:34. "Nope, boring as hell."  
He stood up and grabbed a change of clothes, and a knife. "I'll make breakfast." Leo said, heading for the door. Hallie watched as he climbed down the ladder. She closed the door and quickly changed into fresh clothes.  
The ate breakfast and discussed the plan for today. They were to leave in a little while and head to an outdoor and sporting store that was only a few miles away. Leo thought the store would be almost entirely deserted, but fully stocked with weapons. He was confident it would be a quick and easy run, but something deep down in Hallie made her think that wasn't true.


	4. Chapter 4-Run

"Ready?" Leo called to Hallie who was lacing up her boots.  
"Yep." She picked up her pistol and loaded it until full. Leo was watching her as she did and sighed. He  
started rummaging through his bag and held out a knife.  
"Here. You'll need this, we don't need to use our guns unless we have to." She took it from him and carefully ran her hands over the blade. It was cool against her skin, and had been recently sharpened. She gave him a grateful look and put it in her back pocket. Hallie threw her backpack over her shoulders and followed Leo through the trees.  
They walked through the forest without talking, enjoying the quiet. Hallie spotted a walker hanging from a tree, but it wasn't the same one she saw from the tree house. This one was a female, with a gaping hole in its stomach. Leo didn't even glance up at it as they passed under it.  
"So uh, do you like to hang your kills in trees to show them off or something?" Hallie joked, breaking the silence. He scoffed.  
"It covers our smell," answered Leo, pushing through thick brush.  
"What do you mean?"  
"The rotters smell like death, and we don't, they notice that," he said it like it was obvious. She hadn't ever thought about their smell. She knew noise attracted them like a moth to a flame, but never gave much thought about how strong their sense of smell might be. She had to admit, it was a pretty smart move, camouflaging their scent with the dead. "Where do you plan on going, once we come back."  
The truth was, she didn't know where she was going. She was so intent on getting out of the town where she knew everyone that she didn't think about where to go.  
"I don't know," she simply said. Hallie saw him smirk out of the corner of her eye.  
"You should stay until you have a plan."  
"Is this your pitiful way of trying to make me stay?" Hallie jested.  
"I'm just saying you don't wanna be stranded somewhere, with no one to watch your back," Leo explained, smiling.  
"Are you volunteering to watch my back or something?" She countered, jumping onto a rock. Leo looked up to Hallie, who was playfully bouncing to another boulder.  
"Stay," he urged, "I don't have anywhere to go, and it looks like you don't either."  
She held his gaze, thinking about his offer. Maybe he was right, maybe it was better to have someone to watch your back, in this new unforgiving world. She still barely knew this man, but he did save her from getting eaten and it seems like he knows how to survive in the wild. Hallie climbed off the rock, not breaking eye contact and stood in front of Leo.  
"I don't know," Her voice had grown quieter, almost to a whisper.  
A snap of a branch behind her, made her muscles tense and she slowly reached for her knife. Leo put his hand up, telling her to stay. He had his knife in his hand and poked his head around a bush. He motioned for Hallie to come closer.  
"It's just one, you can get it." He grinned mischievously.  
Hallie rolled her eyes and waited for the walker to shuffle past them. It limped by them, without noticing the two and Hallie paraded behind the walker. It turned its head right as the knife tore through the skull. She yanked the knife out and the walker fell to the ground with dark blood oozing from the wound. She tilted her head, smiling and spun around to face Leo.  
"That, is how you do it!" She boasted, prancing up to Leo. He shook his head, laughing at her.  
"We gotta keep moving if we want to make it back before dark," Said Leo, still smiling. They walked another mile through the forest until they reached the highway, that led into town. They quietly crept through the small town, trying not to attract any of the walkers attention. They took turns silently killing the ones who noticed them and finally reached the store. Leo opened the door and let Hallie into the store first. He quickly latched the door and followed closely behind her.  
Leo had been right, it was deserted. He took the lead, and headed to the gun department. Hallie stashed her backpack with ten boxes of ammo for her handgun and some more boxes for her rifle, while Leo looked over the racks of bows and arrows. He picked up a compound bow and pulled it back, testing it. Hallie made her way to the case of knives, singling out a knife with a long blade and a segregated edge. She knocked in the glass with the butt of her pistol and grabbed the knife and the case. She walked over to Leo, watching him as he compared two bows.  
"That your new weapon of choice?" Hallie grinned.  
"Maybe," he murmured distractedly. He seemed to finally decide on one, and snatched a handful of arrows that went with the bow. He strutted to the gun cases and selected a rifle.  
Suddenly a roar coming from the back of the store, made fear creep into her mind. Her eyes searched where the noise came from, her hand gripping her knife tightly. A walker, dragging its foot, made its way towards its prey. Leo walked up to it and quickly drove his knife it in its decayed head and it crashed to the ground. Hallie let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in, and half ran to Leo's side.  
"We should go, before we attract more," he muttered. She only nodded as Leo instinctively put his arm around Hallie, and guided her to the doors. A low growl erupted from behind them, and the both spun around to face the horror before them. Leo cursed under his breath. A herd of at least twenty walkers stumbled towards the two. Hallie's body flooded with panic, and she froze. She couldn't move, her feet were practically nailed to the floor. The only thing keeping her from getting ripped to peices was the hand dragging her behind it. She regained control and ran as fast as she could, following him. Leo threw the doors open and let Hallie rush past him.  
Various walkers had heard the roars of the herd in the store and gathered around the windows, desperate for a share of food. But Hallie was intent on making sure there would be no human blood spilled today. A gunshot sounded behind her and a walker fell to the ground. She didn't hesitate to pull out her gun and shoot at one who had become dangerously close. She shot at another one and Leo killed two more.  
Her leg had not yet fully healed, and searing pain shot through her body with each step. Leo had passed her with his long strides and she was falling behind. A walker emerging from the woods roared and thrashed its skinny arms, missing Hallie only by inches. She screeched, and aimed her gun at it, blasting a hole in between its eyes. Her eyes widened at the increasing number of walkers behind them.  
"Hallie! Run!" Leo commanded, suddenly by her side. She did a she was told, ignoring the pain from her leg. She didn't look behind her again, until they had reached the forest. She slowed to a jog with Leo right behind her.  
"We need to hide until they pass us," his voice came in heavy puffs, and started searching for shelter. Hallie bent over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath while Leo scoped out a tree. He beckoned for her to come to him.  
"Up you go," he chortled, half smiling. She shot him a disapproving look but reluctantly followed his orders. He put his hands on her waist, pushing her up as she jumped to the lowest branch. She easily scaled the tree to as high as the tree would allow. Leo stuggled with finding his footing, being more clumsier than Hallie. He finally perched on the branch below her, and dug through his backpack. He yanked out a pair of binoculars and focused them on something in the distance.  
"We're gonna have to be quiet until they move on," whispered Leo, handing her the binoculars. She turned the knob until the lens became clear. A group of walkers traveled on the road, heading straight to them while more constantly appeared from the horizon.  
"We'll be here awhile, won't we?" She assumed handing him back the binoculars. He nodded and shifted to a more comfortable position.  
"Get comfy," He replied.


	5. Chapter 5-Confessions

The sun had begun to set behind the hills, painting the sky a pink orange color. They sat noiselessly for about an hour while the herd passed beneath them. Leo looked through his binoculars, checking for any stragglers.  
"We're clear." He wrapped his arms around a branch and began to climb down. He jumped down with a thud, landing on his knees but catching himself with his hands. Leo brushed himself off and held his arms up for Hallie to drop her backpack. She let it slip out of her hands and he caught it. She quickly descended from the trees and Leo caught her by her waist as she jumped from the lowest branch.  
"Thanks," muttered Hallie, as Leo handed her the backpack. He nodded and took his knife out if his back pocket. They had taken a detour to escape the walkers and would have to walk farther to get back to their camp. But with the sun disappearing fast, they would need to hurry to make it back before dark.  
Hallie wondered how long it would be until walkers from town found their camp. Even with their scent being masked by the ones hanging in trees, it wouldn't stop a hungry herd from passing through.  
"How long do think we have until we get overrun?" Asked Hallie.  
Leo was in the lead, ducking below a tree branch. "What makes you think that's gonna happen?"  
She was appalled by his certainty that the camp would always be safe. "You don't seriously think that walkers won't find it?"  
He stopped short, Hallie almost running into him. His blue eyes glared into hers, making an uneasy feeling settle in her stomach. "No, I don't," He tersely said. He broke eye contact and stared at the ground. His face became softer as he kicked at the dirt. "I'm sick of running." He simply said. "That's all I've ever done."  
"Where did you come from? Don't you have family somewhere?" Hallie blurted out. She could tell she struck a nerve when he turned his back to her and began to walk away. She wasn't going to let his get away that easily though, Hallie was to curious to let it go. She grabbed his arm, but he yanked it from her grasp. She stepped in front of him, blocking him from passing through. She placed her hands on her hips with a stubborn look on her face. "I'm not moving until you talk to me."  
"You realize I'm about three times stronger than youand I could just push you out of the way," He hadn't fully returned to his normal self but his tone was lighter.  
Hallie tilted her head and her mouth formed a slight frown, "I'm serious. Why are you all alone out here?"  
"I could ask you the same," Leo retorted, his eyes growing dark.  
She hesitated but decided to answer him, "I don't know where my family is. I don't even know if they are still alive. That's why I was driving, so I wouldn't have to watch everyone I knew turn into those things," Her voice broke on the last sentence but she held his gaze. Leo turned his head away from her, yet he wasn't looking at anything. "Why didn't you look for them?" He asked looking back to her.  
"I-I was scared of what I'd find." Hallie admitted. Her mind flashed to Carson being ripped to shreds. She couldn't bare to see her little brother and sisters like that, she didn't know if she could cope with it. A cool breeze ruffled Leo's hair, and the sudden chilly air made goose bumps rise on her arms. She mentally kicked herself for leaving her jacket in the tree house, so instead she crossed her arms across her chest. He seemed to be searching for words, but Hallie didn't wait for him to reply. "Let's go, it's getting cold." She took the lead and they didn't speak the rest of the way.  
By the time they arrived at their camp, the sun had completely gone down, and the moon was glistening. Leo started a fire and cooked a can of beans, and heated a few slices of bread over the flames.  
"My family already turned," he said after swallowing a bite of bread. Hallie was taken aback by his sudden comment, she hasn't expected him to answer the question she had demanded of him hours ago. "They lived right outside of Temple, I was visiting from college and my little brother came home with a scratch on his arm. It took a few days but he died, then came back and..." He didn't finish his sentence, but Hallie didn't need him to. His eyes became watery with unshed tears, and he put his head in his hands. "I just got in my car and drove. I didn't stop until I ran out of gas then I walked till I found this place." He muttered through his hands. Hallie didn't know how to respond to his confession. She moved towards him, perching on the overturned log he was sitting on. He sat up straight and watched as she placed the palm of her hands on the back of his. He tensed under her gentle touch but she ignored it. Hallie looked up to him and her lips turned upwards in a slight smile.  
"I guess we're both runners. Its always easier to run from the problem than actually face it," She finally commented after a minute. "You were right, I don't have anywhere to go. I'm not leaving you. Besides, who's gonna watch your back if I don't stay?" Hallie playfully teased him, hoping to lighten the mood. His hand finally relaxed in hers.  
Leo looked at their hands. "Thank you. I feel a lot better knowing you won't be all alone out there."  
"What, you don't think I could protect myself?" She pulled her hands back.  
His mouth formed a straight line and leaned back to look at her. "You know what I mean, Hallie," Leo paused, his brow furrowing. "How old are you?" She cocked her head in confusion.  
"Seventeen, why?" Hallie answered.  
"Well from the stuff you had in your truck, it seems like you went back home to get it. And if you didn't get it from your house, you woulda had to steal it, but I don't take you for the thievin' type," He mused, still deep in thought. Hallie slowly nodded, now very confused. "Wouldn't you have seen your family when you went home?"  
She finally understood what was on his mind. "I moved out about six months ago."  
Leo was utterly shocked, not expecting the reply he was given. "I knew you don't steal, but I woulda never of thought you'd be one to move out," he half smiled, a smile that Hallie was becoming accustomed to.  
"There's a lot you don't know about me," she lightly teased him, leaning into his shoulder.  
"What else should I know about you?" Prodded Leo.  
Hallie abruptly stood up and began to walk to the tree house. "I think we're gonna have a lotta time to talk about each other, but right now I'm tired," she called over her shoulder. She paused, turning back to him, "You can take first watch." He scoffed but didn't say anything else.  
Hallie fell to her bed in exhaustion. She was deciding whether to use the remaining energy she had left to change into clean clothes. She glanced down at the blood splattered shirt, and sighed. She slipped out of her shirt and put on a clean one, then did the same with her pants. She ran a brush through her hair, soothing out the tangles. She quickly braided it and slipped under the blankets. Fatigue quickly took over and Hallie fell asleep.

Hallie was sitting in a lawn chair by the smoldering fire on watch. She had given up trying to keep the flames going, but the logs were still red from the heat. She was fairly sure her watch would go by without a problem, but had her rifle cocked and ready just in quiet of the night gave Hallie time to think, and she recalled when Leo had shaken her from her slumber. He almost immediately fell asleep, still fully dressed. Normally she would have left a sleeping person alone, but she guessed her motherly instincts took over and Hallie gently placed a blanket over him and pulled off his shoes. She noticed how peaceful he looked when he slept, leaving all traces of the troubles of the day behind. She couldn't think of a way that anyone could look so peaceful in this world. Before the outbreak, humans had found so many ways to escape death. With all the medications and technology created, the majority of the population only died of old age. But how quickly they were now surrounded by death. Now death was breathing and...well partially living. It thirsted for their flesh and blood, and it constantly hunted the living down. Hallie knew no matter what they did, their tree house wouldnt be able to stay safe forever, despite what Leo thinks. The question was, just how long would they be able to stay here? When would the walkers in town run out of food and push into the country? Their camp was only set up about 5 miles from Rockdale. Even though it was a small town like Lexington, it has enough people to quickly wipe out the surrounding towns. From their run this morning, it seemed like the town had already fallen to the dead. She thought back to her earlier conversation with Leo, when he said he was sick of running. But to be honest with herself, what else was there to do except run? She didnt think there was any possible way to stay and defend herself if a herd passed through. There wasnt enough ammunition available to even make a dent in a large group of walkers. Hallie instantly realized she had to convince Leo that they needed to go further out in the country. She didn't know how she would do it, but Hallie had to do it quick.  
She looked up to the gleaming moon through the tree's leaves. Hallie felt like the only thing she could rely on was that the moon and the stars would never change.

Thanks for reading guys! Please tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6-Sights

"I'm goin hunting," Leo announced climbing down the ladder. Leo held his bow in his hands with a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. The sun was at its highest point in the sky and the blazing Texas heat caused sweat to trickle off of Hallie's chin. "Wanna come?" He asked walking up to her. She had been hunting before, many times actually, but of course that was before the world ended. Her father had taken her hunting almost every weekend of deer seasons before her other siblings were born, but after they came he claimed he had more important things to do. She had always used the same rifle that she carried with her now, but she Hallie knew it would be just plain stupid to fire a gun here. She didn't have anything else to hunt with except a knife, but that wouldn't do any good.  
"How am I gonna help?" She questioned.  
"I'm sure you can find something useful to do. But first I need to sight in my bow," Leo commented while examining an arrow.  
"Alright, I'll go," She agreed. Hallie had grown tired of sitting around camp. Even though watch was necessary, it didn't stop her from getting bored. She was desperate to get a change of scenery and she wanted to stretch her legs. Leo began to pack a backpack with a few things, Hallie quickly grabbed her knife and pistol for safety measures. Leo took the lead and they walked out into the forest. She wasn't sure where Leo was heading, but Hallie trusted he knew his way around much better than she did.  
They walked for quite a ways until they reached a worn out shed. The rotted wood left an odor hanging in the air, that made Hallie's nose crinkle. Age had taken its toll on the old building, as it leaned to one side barely being held together by rusty screws.  
"What is this?" Asked Hallie as they came closer to the shed.  
"It's an old well house. I don't think it's even got water pumped to it anymore." Leo noted as he rummaged for something in his backpack.  
She slowly unlatched the closed door and peered inside. A few bats hanging from inside turned their heads to Hallie as the stiff door swung open. The odor drifting from the rotting wood was ten times worse once she poked her head in. Hallie covered her nose and mouth to keep herself from throwing up her lunch. But he was right, there was a water pump that had rusted over in well house.  
She quickly shut the door and took in a ragged breath of fresh air. Leo laughed at her while hanging up two targets on the wall of the shed.  
"You need to learn how to throw your knife." He glanced at her.  
She skeptically returned his glance. "I do?"  
"We need to make the ammo we have, last for as long as we can." Leo paused, "You'd be able to kill rotters faster."  
She turned this over in head. Hallie guessed it would make it less dangerous to throw her knife instead of hand to... well dead combat. It would certainly be easier and require a lot less energy. Hallie watched as he stepped back about twenty feet and positioned an arrow on the bow. He pulled the string back, poised carefully with one leg in front of the other. Leo's fingers gradually let the string slip out, sending the arrow gliding through the air. It landed on the bottom corner of the target.  
"I don't have any clue how to throw a knife and I definitely wouldn't be able to hit the brain of a moving walker." Hallie said as Leo place another arrow in his bow.  
"I'll teach you," he murmured, releasing the arrow. This time it landed above the target. Leo lowered his bow and yanked out the arrow from the wall. "C'mere," he motioned with his hand. Hallie pulled her knife from its sheath and trotted over to where Leo stood, twelve feet from the shed. He had his own blade in his hands, "Hold your knife like this." Leo showed her how his hands were placed on the knife. Hallie fumbled until her hands were in the same position as his. "And put your dominant foot in front of the other and bend your knees." Leo performed the movement he had instructed, while Hallie copied. Leo's eyes scanned her stance and he swiftly moved behind her. Her muscles tensed as she felt his rough hands guide her arm up to a 90 degree angle. "Keep your wrist stiff and your body facing the target," Leo said softy, his breath tickling Hallie's neck. She stood completely still, now aware of how close Leo was to her. She wasn't sure exactly how she felt about it, Hallie admitted that it felt nice to have human contact for once in a very long time. She couldn't remember the last time someone had touched her or even accidentally brushed up against her. It felt so foreign in this new world, yet it was pleasant to have living human skin against her own. On the other hand, Leo's touch was standing on the boundaries out of her comfort zone. She had never been one for physical affection, and considered lust overrated. Hallie always told herself to love before lusting, which forced all thoughts of human contact away. But the tingling sensation Leo's hand sent up her arm and throughout her body, produced a new feeling in Hallie. A feeling she had never known, but she enjoyed it. But she had to wonder, did Leo feel the same strange feeling Hallie did? She was positive he could feel her blood pulsing through her veins much faster than normal. Did he notice the way his arms comfortably wrapped around her own, to guide her in throwing the knife?  
Hallie blinked, silently scolding herself for even thinking Leo meant anything of his touch, except to teach her how to throw. She cleared her throat and searched for something to say to distract herself from thinking that way again. "S-So like this?" Hallie stuttered. Her hand holding the blade, followed through the throwing motion without letting go of the knife. Leo's hand left her arm and stepped to her side.  
"Exactly. Keep your weight on your back leg, then once you throw shift to your front." Leo stood in the throwing stance and stretched his arm out, releasing the knife. The blade landed into the wood, a few inches below the target.  
" 'cept your supposed to hit the target," Hallie teased.  
Leo smiled and retrieved his knife. "Crash and burn," He instructed playfully. Hallie inhaled the smelly air and raised her knife, with her wrist stiff. She extended her arm, setting the dagger loose. The blade rotated through the air a few times before wedging itself just below the bullseye. She laughed at her success and turned to Leo, who was shaking his head. "Beginners luck," he smiled.  
"No, that's skill!" Replied Hallie, confidently. Leo jogged and tugged out the blade, returning it to Hallie. "Do it again." She threw the knife again, landing further away this time. Her brow furrowed; Leo placed the knife if her hands again. She tossed the dagger over and over again, each throw getting closer to the bullseye. Leo repeatedly trotted back and forth to retrieve the blade. Her arms was growing tired and sore from the awkward motion. Eventually Hallie had struck the bullseye at least ten time in a row. Leo showed no signs of exhaustion, though he must have been.  
"I think I've got it now," Hallie hinted, hoping to give her arm a break.  
"I think you do," Admitted Leo, picking up his bow and quiver. "Let's start hunting."  
The pair managed to get a squirrel and a rabbit. Leo had used his trusty bow to nail both of them, without attracting any walkers. They were now on their way back to camp, treading through the forest quietly. Hallie had managed to push all the those thoughts about Leo out of her mind. It took more effort than it should have, but she did it. After what seemed like days of walking through the trees, Leo stepped into the clearing, with Hallie close on his heels.  
"Finally! I thought w-" Hallie bursted out, but was cut off by a shushing Leo. He lowered his body and looked like he was trying to listen to something. Hallie knew the cautious stance he was in. Panic heated up her body and she copied his posture. Knowing he sensed trouble, she drew out her knife. He pulled back his bow and scoped out their camp. "I heard a rotter," Leo noted, still looking around. Hallie's eyes swept the camp, not finding anything suspicious.  
A roar pierced the silence coming from behind the tree house, causing Hallie to almost jump out of her skin. The bellow of the walker was cut off by an arrow to the eye. Her eyes widened in fear as three more filled its place. Leo didn't waste precious time and loaded his bow with another arrow. Hallie focused on an approaching female with missing arm. She threw her knife and it landed straight between her lifeless eyes. Black blood squirted from the gash, splattering Hallie's face. She yanked her knife from the rotted skull. Something suddenly knocked into her side, sending Hallie crashing onto the ground. The blow knocked the breath from her lungs and left her laying on her back, gasping for air. A growling oversized man was on top of her. She squealed and tried to push it off with her sore arms, but it was no use. The heavy walker flailed its arms, getting closer to scratching the surface of her skin. Hallie reached for her knife but couldnt find it. She must have dropped it when she was thrown to the ground. Adrenaline coursed through her veins. The walker suddenly went limp and the dead weight was lifted off of Hallie. Leo was standing over her, with a frightened look that Hallie had never seen before. He took her hand and helped her to her feet. His hand still in hers, Leo dragged her to the base of the ladder. "Go!" Commanded Leo, the strange expression still had not left his face.  
Hallie scaled the ladder while Leo took out another walker. Inside the tree house, Hallie turned to Leo who was handing his bow to her from the ground. He hastily climbed while at least four walkers gathered around the ladder, almost chomping down of his foot. Leo slammed the door behind them, finally in the safety of the elevated room. Hallie silently thanked God that the dead hadnt learned how to climb. Leo was breathing heavily and plopped down on the pile of blanket.  
"Leo," Hallie started, setting his bow beside him, "we gotta leave." When he didn't respond she looked at him and searched his face for any signs of emotion.  
"Where the hell would we go?" He shakily said, standing up. Hallie didn't know the answer. Was there a place to escape them? Surely they could find a place to stay for a while, but she could never be sure. Leo glared at her, waiting for the unavoidable answer.  
"I don't know," Hallie admitted. She shocked herself of how calm she sounded, despite the terrifying events that had unfolded in front of them. Leo seemed to be freaking out, and Hallie was determined to stay collected for the both of them. He smirked, "There's no where to go. We'll be safe here once we kill these rotters off." Leo sounded like he was trying more to convince himself than Hallie. Moaning was heard from the ground and Leo broke his glare on her and stared out the window.  
"You know that's not true," She reasoned, placing her bloodied hand on Leo's arm. "We are gonna get over run, fast. I'm sure we can find a place that'll be safe for a while." He pulled his arm from her and stalked to the other side of the tree house.  
"I don't want to run," he stated through gritted teeth. "I've kept this place safe for this long, I can do it longer."  
"Not with this many walkers!" Hallie threw back, her voice cracking. He sighed, his hands clenched in fists. She slowly walked towards him. "Please, let's go before its too late." She pleaded, looking into his bright eyes. Leo avoided her gaze, but nodded. Relief flooded over her and Hallie immediately gathered up the few things she possessed. She glanced back at Leo, who hadn't moved an inch. What was he doing? If they wanted to get out if here, he needed to move. Hallie did the only thing she could thing of and wrapped her arms around Leo's neck in a hug. He immediately tensed but loosened up and gently returned the hug. "We're gonna be fine," she murmured into his neck. Her mind flashed back to earlier today, but pushed it away. Instead, Hallie couldn't help but feel safer standing in his arms even though Leo was completely freaking out. She could feel him shaking softly and she buried her head into his shoulder. Hallie felt his strong arms tighten around her, then release. She stepped back, checking his face to see his reaction. He still avoided her eyes but looked somewhat calm. She was relieved that her sudden impulse to comfort him hadn't made him more frightened. Leo abruptly turned away and started throwing his things into his backpack. Hallie threw her bag over her shoulders with her rifle in her hands.  
The tree house had been swept clean of all their belongings. Leo gave her a half smiled and opened the door to the outside.  
The moaning that had subsided became roars when the walkers saw the two living people. Leo drew back his bow and shot a woman who was groaning the loudest.  
"We gotta kill these few off without our guns," Grunted Leo, loading another arrow. Hallie felt completely useless, the only silent weapon she had was her blade. She knew she wasn't trained enough to know how to throw from above and didn't want to risk it. She watched helplessly as Leo picked off the walkers one by one. Eventually their path was clear and they climbed down. The walker's sticky blood bathed the ground, and Hallie stumbled over the pile of bodies. Leo began to pull out the arrows from the dead.  
"I'm sorry that I couldn't help," Hallie apologized softly, handing Leo an arrow she removed from a half eaten walker.  
He shot her a look of astoundment. "You don't gotta be sorry. It's not like we have silencers."He assured her. She grimaced, not believing Leo's statement. "Let's go," He said after all his arrows had been recovered. They walked down the path they had taken when the hunted just an hour before. Leo was in the lead again, and seemed to know just where to go, which was a bit strange seeing that he repeatedly said there was know where to go. After silently walking the along the trail for a while they came upon the smelly well house.  
"Why are we back here?" Hallie asked, holding her nose as she followed him past the shed. Leo didn't answer but she saw him smile out of the corner of her eye. He stopped and turned to her. He pointed into the distance at something. Hallie followed his finger with her eyes. On the orange horizon, a single house was barely in sight. "That, is where we are going," Leo smiled.


	7. Chapter 7-Safe Haven

The red brick house stood out against the green fields surrounding it. A smaller building stood adjacent to the house, with a fence wrapping around the field. Even from a distance, the metal fence looked strong enough to hold a passing herd. If that fence contained the entire property, they may actually have a chance to stay in one place for a while. But Hallie was getting ahead of herself, she didn't want to get her hopes up about this place. A single giant oak tree stood in the middle of the field, giving shade to the ground below it. The tree looked big enough to be a hundred years old, branching out in all different directions. A flock of ducks were waddling towards a murky pond that sat behind the tree. A stone path circling the oak tree led through the field and towards the house. The path, like the house, stood out against the greenery. The spring showers left wildflowers blanketing the soft grass, producing an array of blue, red, green, and yellow. The place seemed to good to be true, like something you would see in a movie.  
The sun began to sink behind the hills and would soon disappear, darkening the sky. The walkers would become more active once the moon came out and she knew this house was there only chance to escape the danger from the coming night. Hallie glanced at Leo, who's blue gaze was resting on her. She felt the excitement that was plastered across his face spread throughout her.  
She raised an eyebrow.  
"Thought you said there was no where to go."  
His excitement slightly faded. "I-uh I figured it'd be over run," Leo stammered.  
Hallie reckoned he was lying and threw him a skeptical look, which he didn't seem to notice. Leo was staring out at the house.  
"Alright well, lets go," she crookedly smiled at the man beside her. She trampled through the field of flowers with Leo following behind. The soft breeze ruffled her braided hair as the grass gently swayed back and forth. The wind stirred up pollen, sending it blowing through the air. With each step they took, grasshoppers jumped out from underneath their feet. It was a wonder she hadn't swallowed one as they leaped from the safeness of the grass. "What if there are people living here?" Asked Hallie. The question had been haunting her since she laid eyes on it.  
"Then I guess we'll find another place," Said Leo, hopping over a rock.  
Hallie frowned. If there actually was people occupying this house, the owners probably wouldn't agree to others claiming their home as theirs. They would have to spend the night in the open and wouldn't get any sleep like that. She prayed a silent player that the house was vacant. Leo had a new sense of hope for this house that she couldn't figure out. It was less than a half hour ago that he had broken down, saying there was no place to go. Now he was ecstatic about this place.  
They finally came upon the metal fence, Leo hopping over it with ease. Hallie started to climb it, struggling to find her footing. Leo turned back to her and placed his hands on her waist, helping her jump down. Hallie shrieked as she stumbled to the ground, Leo falling down with her. His hands tightened around her sides, trying to catch the both of them. She landed on her back with Leo practically on top of her. One of his hands was still at her waist with the other on the ground, holding him above her. He laughed softly and Hallie shot him a dirty look. With their faces only a few inches apart, Leo didn't let her up but he held her stare. His grin grew solemn in thought. Hallie tightened her jaw and looked away from him, realizing once more how close to each other they were.  
"Thanks," muttered Hallie sarcastically, wriggling out from underneath him. He seemed to be shaken from his thoughts and quickly stood up, offering a hand to her. She stubbornly refused, trying to push the thoughts of Leo out of her mind. Hallie turned back to the house and began to stomp towards it, not looking at him. She could picture him snickering at her behind her back.  
But no matter how hard she tried to focus on the house, Leo kept creeping back into her mind. He was such an idiot. She didn't need help with anything. Certainly not jumping down from a five foot fence. What really confused her was that he didn't immediately get off of her. He was obviously thinking about her when he didn't move. But what was it?  
Her thoughts were interrupted by groaning coming from the house. Fear shot through veins, tingling her spine. They were only a few yards from the porch, and warily drew out their weapons. A female walker threw itself at the window, seeing the two humans. Taking the lead, Leo crouched down into the stance Hallie saw him do earlier and peered into the window. The walker went insane, clawing at the glass trying to get a piece of his flesh. He stood up straight and his face became more relaxed.  
"That's the only one. You open the door and I'll kill it." He simply ordered, loading an arrow into his bow. She nodded her head, tightly clutching her knife just in case he was to be caught off guard. Hallie slowly turned the knob and stepped behind the door, letting Leo block the doorway. It groaned louder, causing adrenaline to course through her. The female raised her arms in the direction of Leo and shuffled slowly to him. He silently released the arrow and it stuck in her skull, between the two clouded eyes. It dropped to the ground with a thud while dark blood slowly oozed from the wound. Leo pulled the arrow from the walker and stepped inside the house.  
Hallie's nose wrinkled and was filled with the odor of death and decay as soon as she stepped foot in the house. She coughed, overwhelmed by the smell.  
"Smells like home,"Leo joked, looking around. She scoffed at him and started breathing through her mouth to lessen the pungent smell. Hallie looked around the house, taking in her surroundings.  
A couch and a reclining chair were facing an old wood burning stove with a glass table between the two. On one wall was an array of pictures ranging from a photograph of a little girl to a painting of the ocean. To the left was a big kitchen with a dining table in the center of it. Leo began poking around in the cabinets, and pulled out a few cans of food.  
"Well, looky here! Looks like we're havin beans and corn tonight," He beamed, a crooked smile crossing his face. She returned his smile and walked into a bedroom. The decaying smell lessened in the room and Hallie finally breathed through her nose. Two side tables stood on each side of a bed big enough to fit two people. She made her way to a dresser and pulled the stiff drawer open. Clothes were roughly folded in each of the drawers. She and Leo would definitely have clean clothes to wear now.  
Hallie walked to the window that was on the opposite side of the dresser. Through it, the sun had disappeared leaving the moon and stars to shine. The same moon that would never change. Maybe those two things would be the only thing she could find peace in now. But who was she kidding? There was nothing left peaceful once the first of the dead came alive. Fear and panic was a normal feeling to have every second of the day.  
She heard Leo's footsteps behind her but didn't bother to look. The steps were to swift and heavy to be the ones of a walker. Hallie realized she had memorized how his footsteps sounded. How strange.  
"Whatcha lookin' at?" He asked, his voice almost a whisper. That same tingling sensation she experienced earlier shot through her as Hallie felt his body heat radiating off his skin. What was it with him that made him always stand so close to her? As much as she wanted, she couldn't find a way to make it annoying. Instead she welcomed his closeness by involuntarily leaning into his strong stature. She sighed, finally feeling safe and relaxed.  
"The stars and moon," Hallie replied, her voice equally as soft.  
Leo grimaced playfully. "Isn't that a little boring?"  
She smiled at his remark, "Nah I've always liked constellations and I even wanted to be an astronomer."  
"I didn't know that," he said simply.  
"Like I said before, there's a lot you don't know about me," Hallie glanced at his concentrated face. He stared out the window into the sea of stars that floated around the moon.  
Leo's expression relaxed and turned into his half smile that Hallie had begun to adore. "Which constellation were you lookin' at?" He asked, now leaning against the wall.  
She laughed, probably louder than she should've. "What?" He asked, surprise rising in his tone. She stifled another laugh.  
"That one," Hallie paused and pointed to a group of stars, "is called Leo."  
He gently chuckled, making Hallie burst into a fit of giggles.  
"That's kinda ironic, ain't it?"  
"Little bit," Agreed Hallie.  
He crossed his arms across his chest, no longer looking out the window but directly at her, "So tell me everything you know 'bout Leo."  
She tilted her head in thought, recalling what she had read about Leo. It wasn't much. If she had known that constellation would prove to be prominent at that point, she would've studied it more. Hell, she would've learned every little detail about it, just cause it shared a name with the man standing next to her. She explained to him everything she remembered, from the names of the stars used in the constellation, to the history of it. Leo listened intently, asking all the right questions at the right times. Eventually she ran out of things to say, and they silently stood looking out the window. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a comfortable one that they could both enjoy. The silence made Hallie feel safer in a strange way.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Well, do you want to take first watch?" Leo asked, after swallowing a bite of beans. The two had eaten the cans of food he found in the cabinets. Hallie had to admit, fresh squirrel did taste better than the stale corn. Of course she didn't admit that to Leo.  
"I guess we're gonna have to keep doing night watches?" She speculated, glancing up to Leo's blue eyes.  
"Just until we secure the fence around the house. And make sure that other building ain't got any rotters in it." Added Leo. She hasn't given much thought to the smaller metal structure. It definitely could have a herd of walkers just waiting to catch them off guard. Hallie nodded, agreeing with him.  
"There's another bedroom with a smaller bed that I can take," Said Leo, walking to the other room.  
"Such a gentleman,"she smirked, winking at him.  
His eyes widened, "If you don't want the bigger bed, I'll take it!"  
She narrowed her eyes at him, "No you wouldn't."  
"Try me," Leo barked, coming to stand in front of her. They were only inches apart and Hallie breathed in his smell. Even through the sweat and blood, his scent had become overpowering once he stepped next to her. Once again he was very close to her. Hallie hadn't realized how much taller he was than her. The top of her head barely reached Leo's chin. His gentle breath tickled her forehead making the corner of her mouth slightly turn up. Hallie shook her head.  
"That's what I thought," he murmured, giving her his half smile.  
"You should get some sleep," she said, looking at her hands. "I'll wake you when I get tired."  
"Goodnight" Leo chuckled, backing up to the door. "Wait," Leo reappeared in the doorway, "can I check your stitches again?"  
After he finished cleaning and rebandaging her leg, Hallie was left alone in the quiet.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hallie was woken up by the rising sun gleaming down on her through the window. She groaned, still exhausted and pulled the comforter higher. The queen sized bed felt like heaven after sleeping on the floor for a week. Around three, Hallie could hardly keep her eyes open and woke up Leo. She looked at her watch through squinted eyes. 8:27, she had slept for five and a half hours, which didn't feel like enough. She groggily pushed the covers back and stood up. Hallie quickly changed into fresh clothes and went to find Leo.  
He had heard her footsteps behind him and turned on his heels. He stood alert on the porch with his bow in his hands. His body relaxed after he recognized the familiar young woman.  
"Good morning sunshine," Leo teased, leaning on the pillar that held up the roof. Hallie scoffed, walking to his side. She scanned the flowering field. By next week the Texas heat would overpower the flowers and everything will be brown. It happened every May, one week the ground was clothed in green and the next all of it was dead.  
"You eaten breakfast yet?" She asked. His gaze rested on Hallie, "No I was waitin' for you."  
She turned back to the house, heading for the kitchen. There had to be some food in this house. Lexington only became prisoners to the disease a week ago and the owner of the house hadn't escaped it. Therefore the food supply should still be intact. Hallie's heart sank as she peered in the first drawer, nothing but dust. Leo, who had followed her was standing with his arms crossed beside her. She closed the drawer forcefully and glared at the still-standing Leo.  
"You gonna help me or just stand there?" She shot at him.  
He crookedly grinned, amused by Hallie's annoyance. "I already checked, the food's in the pantry. I think there was some cereal." He pointed to a door beside the refrigerator. Cereal. It seemed so foreign to hear Leo say it. Of course the last time she had cereal was only a week ago but it felt like decades.  
"Obviously there's no milk so we're gonna have to suffer with dry cereal," said Leo, interrupting her thoughts. He lightly laughed at his own humor, Hallie unwillingly grinned. She walked to the half opened door that Leo was pointing to. Sure enough stacks of cans were on the bottom shelf, followed by a box of cereal. On the shelf above it were spices ranging from taco seasoning to cinnamon, along with other things like bread and chips. She pulled the cereal box out and set it on the dining table.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hallie loaded filled the magazine with ammo and clicked safety on. They had agreed to walk along the fence, checking for any breaks that would allow for walkers to get through. Leo appeared in the doorway of her room.  
"Ready?" Leo chirped, holding his bow.  
She quickly tucked the gun into her back pocket and looked up to him.  
"Yeah, I guess," Sighed Hallie. She really did want to get out of the house but wasn't exactly looking to get caught in a herd. She was never good at staying cooped up for very long, always moving on. Even staying inside for the morning was torture. Hallie followed Leo quietly out the front door and breathed in the fresh air. Through the night she had trouble blocking out the odor of decay and was finally able to freely draw in breaths. She was glad her bedroom didn't reek of the smell and was able to close her door to shut most of it out. Leo wasn't as lucky, and Hallie very well knew that. She did feel a little bad that his room was located closer to the living room and seeped in the stench of death. But he didn't complain like she would have, and he must have realized how much better her room smelled.  
When Leo abruptly stopped, Hallie was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost crashed into him. She recognized his pose instantly. Her hand was gently placed on her pistol in her back pocket, ready at a moments notice to push the safety off and pull the trigger at any potential threats. Hallie's ears strained as she tried to hear the familiar groaning of a walker. The only thing her ears caught were the sound of the ducks swimming in the pond. Leo took a step forward, slowly placing an arrow in his bow. Hallie's eyes desperately searched for the stumbling body of a walker, not finding anything. As her confusion heightened, he turned his head to her and grinned. Leo let the arrow slip from the bow, hitting something in the distance.  
She expected him to turn around and mock her of the confusion that covered her face, but he jogged in the direction of his arrow. Hallie stood, baffled as she watched him pull his arrow from something. Even at thirty yards she could distinguish his cocky smirk, as he admired the squirrel he held up. Her mouth watered at the thought of the fresh meat they would have tonight.  
For the following hours the pair walked along the fence line. The residents of the brick house had kept good care of their property, they hadn't found a single chink in the fence so far. Relief flooded over Hallie as they circled back to where they began. Walkers couldn't get in, and Leo and Hallie could defend themselves now. This was their Safe Haven.


	8. Chapter 8-Ride

Leo slowly raised the garage door, bracing himself for walkers to pounce out. If a walker decided to feast on a chunk of his flesh, Hallie would beat it there first. Driving a dagger into its brain, stopping the living corpse from bringing Leo down with it. But the door was lifted higher and no walkers came. Her tensed muscles slightly relaxed, lowering her knife. He grunted as he pushed the door as high as it could go. Once the dust from the open door settled, the pair were able to look around the barn.  
Square hay bales were stacked against rows of stalls. The dusty aroma filled Hallie's nose, almost making her sneeze. She peered over each stall, making sure a walker was not nesting in the small enclosure. Each one was empty, seeming like they hadnt been used in a while. The only source of light in the barn were the burned out light bulbs, leaving them in the shadows. Leo examined a tractor on the opposite side of the barn, focusing on the engine. He didnt seemed to be fazed by the lack of illumination.  
A loud crash suddenly came from the direction of the last stall, making her muscles tense and fear flood through her all over again. Hallie's hand went to the knife at her belt. The swift movement had become so natural, instinctive even. A movement of defense, ready to strike anything that threatened Leo or herself. Hallie threw a careful glance at Leo. He stood warily behind the tractor with his bow aimed to kill whatever caused the noise. Leo had perfected the placement of an arrow into his bow. It only took him a matter of seconds to ready his bow and shoot. He nodded his head, silently telling her to look into the stall.  
Raising her knife, she stepped into view of the gated enclosure. The fear washed away when Hallie recognized the familiar silhouette of the wide-eyed animal. She walked up to it and placed a hand on the brim of the nose. The animal welcomed the touch, snorting softly.  
Not hearing a response, Leo asked, "What is it?"  
She gave him a grin. "Come here." He relaxed his bow at the playful tone in Hallie's voice. Leo laughed once he saw the majestic creature she was stroking.  
"A horse?" He questioned, suppressing another laugh.  
"Two actually, there's another in the next stall," She replied. The gelding she was petting was a beautiful palomino with a pure white stripe trailing down its nose. His big eyes looked hungry. She glanced around, not finding any food in reach of the horse. Leo was petting a sleek black mare with a star centered at her forehead. Both horses looked like they hadnt eaten in a while. More than likely their last meal had been before the walker in the house had turned.  
"We should feed them," Leo noted, reading her mind. Hallie nodded and silently went to the hay bales stacked beside the raised door. Taking her knife, she cut the yarn bundling the hay together. Hallie grabbed a big chunk and walked back to the Palomino. He snorted softly with ears perked up at the sight of food. Leo grabbed a sliver of hay for the mare and both took it eagerly.  
"What the hell are we going to do with horses?" Leo mumbled, tossing a section of hay into the stall.  
"Feed 'em for one. They look a little underfed, but I think we are looking at our new mode of transportation," Hallie said, glancing at him. As much she didn't want to admit it, he looked handsome in the state he was in. His messy hair swept to one side, his big arms flexed underneath the loose t-shirt. Even underneath the dirt, his face was as stunning as ever. Hallie shook her head to get rid of the reoccurring thoughts. Why did she let herself think that? No thoughts of Leo like that would ever end good.  
"Transportation?"He questioned, surprise written all over his face.  
Hallie smirked, "You do know how to ride a horse, right?"  
"No I do, its you I'm worried about," Leo scoffed playfully. She let out a laugh. Of course she knew how to ride, Hallie grew up around horses. Before she moved out, she had become very good at barrel racing. Hallie had spent many hours training her mare to perfect the pattern. But once Junior year came, her parents began to force it upon her. They would get mad if she lost and make Hallie train harder. It definitely made it unenjoyable. When she left home, she missed not being able to hop on her horse whenever she wanted. It had been at least a year and a half since she had ridden.  
"Don't you worry 'bout me,"Hallie chirped, "I've had more than my share of riding."  
His expression grew shocked. "Really? Did you have horses?" She nodded, looking into his blue eyes.  
"I barrel raced. Went to a lot of competitions and won most. It's been a while since I rode but its not like I forgot how," Hallie explained.  
"Did you just stop riding?" Asked Leo with curiosity in his eyes.  
"Yeah," she paused, remembering the long excruciating hours her parents pressured her into training. "Eventually it became more of a sport for my parents than it was for me. Everyday my dad would make sure I practiced, pointing out every little thing I did wrong. Racing wasn't something that I loved anymore. They took that from me." Hallie finished. She looked at her hands, studying the bits of hay she had not yet thrown to the gelding.  
"Oh," he said after a few moments, an understanding tone in his voice. It was clear Leo was at a loss for words.  
"Surely there's enough tack for us," Hallie spoke, breaking the silence. She stepped back and glanced around the barn, finding a door in the back. She felt Leo's eyes on her as she made her way to the door. Hallie raised her knife and slowly opened the door, bracing for anything to jump out at her. The door creaked as it swung all the way open. Again, nothing appeared. She let out a heavy breath and stepped inside. Hooks on one wall held bridles and halters while the opposite wall had sacks of livestock grain stacked against it. Against the back wall were two saddles sitting on saddle racks. Underneath the light coat of dust they looked in fairly good shape. Walking further into the small room, Hallie noticed other horse supplies. Much more than what was needed for just two horses.  
"Find anything?" Leo asked, standing in the doorway.  
She picked up a bridle with the name 'Biscuit' engraved in pink on the nose band. Turning to him, Hallie gently tossed the bridle to Leo. "That's for you." He staggered back with it in his hands, not expecting her to throw it. A smirked crossed Hallie's face.  
"Biscuit?" He snorted, examining the name. "I have to ask, why do I get the mare?" Questioned Leo, coming to stand beside her. Hallie grabbed another bridle, this one had 'Trooper' engraved in blue. "'Cause I saw Trooper first," She affirmed simply, showing him the name.  
"That don't mean nothin'" Scoffed Leo.  
Hallie faced him, "It's a simple case of finders keepers." He glared at her, but said nothing more. Satisfied of her win of the argument, she pushed past him and went to Trooper. Hallie unlatched the gate and his head shot up. She gently murmured into his ear to calm him, and wrapped the reins around his neck to steady him. Hallie knew she would have to be careful, riding an unfamiliar horse was always dangerous. Especially one that hadnt been ridden in a while. Being that she hasn't ridden in a while, Hallie was quite out of practice. The gelding could easily throw her off if she wasn't expecting it, resulting with an injury that a band-aid wouldn't fix. No matter the risk, Hallie was determined to ride Trooper. Even though the metal fence seemed strong enough to hold a herd, the two horses would be their best way to escape one that pushed its way through.  
Fortunately the palomino didn't fight the bit and let Hallie slip the bridle on. She glanced over to Leo who seemed to be having trouble in getting Biscuit to take the bit. Figures. Hallie wouldn't let his complications go unnoticed though. She smirked at him and led Trooper out of the stall, tying him to an old tie bar.  
"Need help," She giggled, Leo still coaxing the bit into her mouth.  
He looked up with eyes narrowed. "No I got it," He retorted. She laughed again and turned to find one of the saddles. Finding the smaller one, Hallie carried it over to the gelding. She placed the blanket on before throwing the saddle over. More dust flew up and it landed on his back, making her step back and cough. Routinely, she strapped the saddle down and checked for anything she missed. the corners of her mouth slowly crept up as she found nothing forgotten. Even after a year and a half of not riding, Hallie remembered the familiar sequence. Now all that was left to do was ride.  
Leo had finally accomplished the bridle and was leading the mare to the tie bar beside Hallie. Without a word he went into the smaller room, and came out with a saddle. He swiftly threw the saddle on and started strapping it down.  
"You know we still have to be careful right?" Leo acknowledged, yanking on the cinch. "So don't go pulling the trigger thinkin' they won't come for us."  
"I know," Replied Hallie. No matter how safe their temporary home seemed, it wouldn't stop the fear from spreading throughout her body if she saw a lurking walker. Leo finished tightening the straps and began to untie Biscuit.  
"Ready to ride?" He half smiled, And placed a foot in the stirrup. Hallie untied Trooper and got on.  
"Only if you are!" She slightly kicked the horse, pushing him into a walk. Leo followed Hallie as she guided Trooper to the field. As soon as he stepped into the soft grass, she kicked him up into a trot. The rough, bumpy gait would be sure to leave Hallie sore tomorrow. Leo had taken off in a lope in the opposite direction, one hand one the reins and the other on the saddle horn.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The buzzer blared, signaling the time to start. She began swinging her legs hard into the flesh of the sorrel horse, urging him to go faster to the approaching barrel. Putting pressure on one side with her spur and pulling the reins to the right, Jasper whipped around the barrel. His heavy feet slightly sank into the soft mud and willed him to push harder in order to gain more ground. Hallie let off of the pressure on his side and pushed the spurs into both flanks.  
As loud as the spectators were cheering, she couldn't hear them. The sound of Jasper's thundering footsteps echoed around her. Hallie concentrated on the familiar beat of his hooves, finding the rhythm. Her body swayed in pattern with the movement of his swift gallop. She ignored the deafening sound of the blood rushing through her ears and focused on the beat. She rounded the second barrel with ease and guided him to the furthest obstacle. Letting Jasper take over, she squeezed her thighs against the leather while he circled around. Her leg was only an inch from colliding with the barrel. If it toppled over, she would never hear the end of it. Hallie's parents would be furious with her, going on and on about how she needed to control her horse, not let him turn so sharp. They would say they hadn't driven seven hours to go home empty handed.  
But she was spared this time. Hallie grazed the side without knocking it over. She shifted her weight to the front and pushed the reins toward his ears. Repeatedly kicking his sides, he ran faster. Faster than ever before. Jasper's graceful sprint made it feel like she was flying through the air. This exact feeling was why she bared the mental beatings of her parents. To glide through the air, mounted on the horse she considered her best friend. The sharp pitch of the buzzer sounded and Hallie gently pulled back on the reins. Jasper slowed into a trot while she glanced to the timer. Excitement spiked her blood. 14.27. That was the fastest she'd ever gone. A new record had been set for Lubbock Rodeo, and she had the honor of claiming it. The loud cheering of the crowd finally caught up with Hallie's ears. They roared louder than before in excitement. She couldn't help but smile at her accomplishments.  
Feeling the excitement too, Jasper reared up and let out a snort. Hallie chuckeld at his playfulness and walked out of the arena.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Slightly scared of what the unfamiliar horse might do, Hallie thought it was best to take it slow. Even if Leo was already running, she wasn't going to be stupid enough to get thrown off. She gently nudged Trooper's side and he obediently quickened his gait to a trot. She squeezed her thighs together for balance against the bumpy ride. Leo was loping toward the tree that stood in the middle of the field and Hallie followed.  
"Are you too scared to run?" Leo teased after they both reached the shade of the tree.  
"No! I just don't wanna get bucked off from reckless riding!" Exclaimed Hallie. Leo scoffed with a disbelieving expression.  
"I'll race you," he challenged, "From here to the barn." He half smiled, somehow knowing it was difficult for Hallie to resist it. She held his gaze, but finally gave in.  
"You're on." Leo laughed, making her grin. They both readied themselves, bracing for the take off. Hallie slightly leaned forward and evened her hands across the reins.  
"Ready...Set...Go!"  
Hallie dug her shoes into his sides. She knew if she had spurs she might have made him go faster, but she would have to work with her tennis shoes. Trooper jumped at the sudden contact and started running. He had taken off faster than she expected, and her hand instinctively gripped the saddle horn. He ran at a gallop, leaving Leo trailing behind her. The wind blew against Hallie's face, causing the old memories to flood back. The movement of his smooth gait was comforting and familiar. She wished she could run forever, never running out of space to gallop. Hallie was so wrapped up in riding she hadn't noticed Leo beginning to fall behind. She grinned, realizing she was going to beat him to the barn.  
Suddenly a gunshot rang through the air. Panic pulsed in her blood. The deafening bang had come from behind her, in the direction Leo had been. He wasn't stupid enough to fire a gun out here, he would use his crossbow. The horrible realization struck her, someone else pulled that trigger. If Hallie turned around and saw what she feared the most, she wasn't sure how she could recover. It would be a miracle if she could even recover at all. Hallie had grown to trust and depend on Leo. He had become the reason she was still living. If he wasn't still standing when she looked, she would be easy food for a walker.  
She slowed Trooper to a trot and braced herself for the scene before her.


	9. Chapter 9-Strangers

Hallie pulled the reins back as hard as she could. The palomino slightly slowed into a lope, not wanting to stop running. She couldn't blame him either. After being cooped up for who knows how long, she would want to run as fast as she could. Horses aren't meant to be cooped up for as long as these two were. As much as Hallie wanted to run forever, the gunshot threatened to destroy everything she had gained in the last week. She pulled on the left rein, and Trooper obeyed the command.  
When Hallie's eyed were able to focus on the sights ahead of her, despite the uneven gait in which Trooper ran in, she didn't know what to feel. Relief, panic, confusion, and terror swept through her all at the same time, leaving Hallie breathless. Leo was still upright and on his horse. But instead of heading to the barn, he was galloping toward walkers. There looked to be only three walkers that the pair could easily take out. But they were on the inside of the fence, quickly stumbling toward them. But the gunshot certainly didn't come from him, he would still be holding the gun if he fired the shot. Did he even bring a gun with him? Without thinking, she kicked Trooper into a gallop and headed toward Leo.  
As the horse began to come closer to the walkers, Hallie noticed something very peculiar about them. Leo wasn't acting normal either. She was positive he would have jumped off the horse and easily sliced through their brains, but he didn't. She was roughly twenty feet away and even from the decreasing distance, Hallie could see the standing walkers holding firearms in their hands. The smaller one awkwardly cradled a rifle that was much too big for its body. It looked to be woman, for her hair flowed behind her in the light breeze. But her hair wasn't stringy like a walkers would, the blonde strands seemed silky. The larger one had better control of the rifle, confidently placing a hand on the barrel and a finger on the trigger. As she approached, Hallie noticed he had tattoos running down the exposed parts of his body, making him seem much bigger than he actually was. The final one stood slightly behind the man, preventing Hallie from getting a good glance at it. From what she could tell, it held a handgun carefully as if not to accidentally set it off.  
For once Hallie wished they were facing walkers. It would be much easier to battle the walkers than to face the living humans before her. Would they try to take away their newly claimed home, or join them in the fight against the dead? What ever would happen, Hallie knew it wouldn't be the same.  
She joined Leo who had waited for her a few feet away from the fence that separated the strangers. Leo looked at her with cautious eyes, silently warning her of the trouble that may come.  
The burly man finally broke the silence. "It looks like you aint lived through the last few weeks."  
"We've had our share of incidents," Leo quickly answered. Hallie quickly glanced to him. Leo's jaw was set tight and she noticed his arms were tense. If she was on the opposite side of the fence, Hallie would be a bit frightened by his appearance. She turned back to the burly man who had the faintest traces of a smile playing at the corners of his lips.  
"Well ya look to be sittin' pretty on that horse, and I don't see any of the uglies around," The man replied. "Tell me, how just are y'all managing to keep them away?"  
"We don't fire a gun unless we have to," Hallie retorted with distaste in her voice. Leo shot her a warning glance that showed he wasn't too fond of her answer, but Hallie ignored him.  
"This land is taken, so you should start to move on before dark," Leo said in a steady tone.  
The smile that the man was holding back finally showed. The woman shifted the gun in her hands nervously, trying not to show it. Hallie realized the resemblance between the two, they shared a few of the same facial features, and it was enough to see they were siblings. She shifted the reins from one hand to another.  
"Is that so," the burly man paused, "Your mama ever teach ya how to share?" His grin widened as he turned to look at the woman and child behind him.  
"I think manners were forgotten once the world ended," Hallie piped up with a giggle almost spilling out. She could of sworn she caught sight of the woman smile but it was quickly erased.  
"Well, we still have a bit of courtesy so I guess I'll introduce us first. I'm Sawyer, this is my sister," He motioned to the blonde haired woman," Kara, and this is Noah. Now I believe it's your turn." A smug smile beamed across his face. Noah moved out from behind Sawyer and let Hallie receive a full look at him. He couldn't have been older than 10 and did not resemble his older companions at all. His dark and curly hair was nothing near the straight, blonde hair of Sawyer, and he lacked the tan skin of both Kara and her brother.  
"I'm Leo and she's Hallie," He quickly introduced.  
"Well it's nice to meet someone who isn't dead," Sawyer smirked.  
"We were hoping we could stay here for a few nights. Just until we figure out where we are going," Kara explained, a british accent heavily weighing in on her voice. Nervousness was displayed on her face.  
Hallie knew this was going to be the groups request. Hell if she was them, she'd ask the same thing. It would be foolish to pass up the protection of a fence when the dead lurked all around you, craving for your flesh. She glanced at Leo who held a straight face, but after a few seconds he turned to her. Hallie couldn't see the harm in letting them stay a few nights. Of course she wouldn't be too fond of them sleeping in the same house. Leo led his horse to her side, on the opposite side of the strangers.  
"I don't know about this," He whispered, preventing the others from hearing.  
"A few nights won't hurt," She replied, whispering back.  
"We don't know if we can trust them."  
"Leo, they're the first people we've seen in a while who haven't tried to eat us. And from the looks of it, we have more guns than them," Hallie whispered.  
He looked to be contemplating the situation but finally nodded his agreement to her. He began to turn his horse around but Hallie quickly gripped his shirt, pulling him back to her. Leo's eyes widened as he almost lost his balance at her pull, but quickly recovered.  
"But not in the house," She added, forgetting to whisper. Hallie released her grip on his shirt, and faced the anxious people behind the fence.  
"You can stay for two nights. But you can't come in the house so I suggest you pick a spot under that tree to make camp," Leo advised, motioning to the giant tree near the pond.  
"Thank you," Sawyer said, "We'll try not to bother ya too much." A crooked smile formed on his face.  
Hallie nodded and kicked Trooper into a canter toward the barn, with Leo following close behind. They both began to unsaddle and as she release the palomino into the stall Hallie turned to look at Leo.  
"What?" He asked while latching the stall door. He walked over to tractor and picked up the squirrel he had caught earlier and returned to her side, all the while Hallie's eyes had not left him."What?" Leo repeated.  
She shook her head, "Nothing."  
"Alright then, lets go eat our squirrel," He crookedly grinned, following Hallie toward the house.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hallie stood at the window in the living room, staring out into the field particularly at the new group perched under the giant tree. The sun had set behind the hills almost an hour ago and the moon brightened the dark sky. From the distance it looked to be Sawyer who was leaning against the tree with a rifle loosely in his hands, while the other two were sleeping. Neither Leo or Hallie had thought about telling the newcomers that watch was unnecessary. But she guessed if there was a threat of some sort out there during the night, the two would be alerted by the others.  
"Why are you watchin' 'em?" Hallie snapped her head in the direction of the question, but instantly relaxed when she recognized the familiar face. Who elde could it have been though? Leo appeared behind her, and now stood at her side with his arms crossed.  
"Sawyer's on watch," she noted, ignoring his question.  
"Hmm, I guess we shoulda told them we don't gotta do that anymore," He chuckled and threw her his half-smile.  
Hallie laughed, "I was thinking the same thing."  
"Great minds think alike," Leo quoted, nudging her gently. Hallie only nodded with a small grin creeping up to her mouth. A yawn overcame her and suddenly fatigue swept over. Hallie leaned her head against Leo's shoulder and closed her eyes, relaxing into his strong form. She let all of the thoughts that threatened to ruin the peace escape her mind. Hallie concentrated on the pleasant smell that radiated from Leo. His scent was strong enough that it blocked out the odor the walkers left behind. It was comforting and it seemed to soothe her as she tried to shut out the horror that surrounded them. She almost opened her eyes when Leo shifted under her but was content when she felt his arm wrap around her waist in a more comfortable position. They stood at the window for a while longer, enjoying the silence like the night before.  
"Do you want me to carry you to your bed?" He lightly laughed. Hallie smiled and opened her eyes to look up to meet his.  
"No. I think I can make it." She said as she started to make her way to her bedroom.  
"'Night," Leo called behind her.  
Hallie turned to face him. "Goodnight, Leo," she slightly smiled at him before turning back to her room.


	10. Chapter 10-Convinced

**Finally to Chapter ten! It took a lot of work getting this far, and I have only just begun! This story will be long, and will take some time getting there. I know I will write at least 20 chapters but I hope to get to 35ish :D I had the first nine chapters prewritten but normally it takes about 5-7 days for me to write a chapter. So for the rest of the story, please be patient:) Please tell me what you think. I will take constructive criticism! Without further ado...here you go!**

The walker was moving at an incredible speed toward her. It was faster than any walker could ever move. Fear radiated through out her as it approached. She threw her bare hands out, striking it on the forehead. The walker didn't even seem fazed by the blow, and it lashed out with its crooked jaw. Hallie scrambled back just in time to escape the bite but it was moving toward her again, hungry for her flesh. She struck the walker with her fist again, this time hitting it on its nose. Once again, it seemed as if Hallie hadn't just exerted all the energy she could find, to defend herself. The walker didn't flinch or become stunned by the punch. It hobbled closer to her, almost grabbing hold of her.

All there was left to do was run. So she did. Hallie turned on her heels and began to sprint away from the creature. She ran until her legs had become numb, and when all the air had escaped her lungs, she willed herself to push further. Everything passed as a blur, she didn't concentrate on anything but getting away from the walker.

But suddenly something heavy had her pinned to ground. Hallie had landed on her back with her eyes squeezed shut. As hard as she tried, she couldn't push the weight off. She trashed her arms until they too were pinned down. Her eyes slowly opened and she faced something much worse than the dead. Holding her down with a mocking look upon his face, was her younger brother, Travis. His face was rotting like the skin of a walkers and was dripping blood from everywhere. It wasn't the dark and rotted blood of a walker though. It was fresh, human. Hallie screamed in pure terror, but no sound had escaped her lips. The world around her spun, as she tried harder to escape the hold her brother had on her. Travis did not posses normal walker behavior though. He didn't pounce on her flesh, or claw through her skin, but he held himself up over her and laughed. It wasn't the laugh she remembered her brother having, but it was a deeper and more sinister laugh. The spinning turned to violent shaking as Hallie was brought into reality.

"Hallie! Hallie, wake up!" She heard a voice shout. Hallie sat up straight in the bed and her eyes shot open. Leo was sitting beside her with his hands at her shoulders. Her vison became blurred with water and she felt the hot tears begin to sting her face. Her worst nightmare had just happened. She always knew if she ever saw any of her siblings like that, she would shut down and block everything out. She couldn't stand her parents but she loved her brother and little sisters. Even though it was just a dream, it was realistic enough to send her into shut down mode.

Leo's arms wrapped around Hallie and he pulled her into his chest, in an effort to calm her. "You were screaming," He said, his lips brushing up against her hair. Hallie curled up into his embrace, trying to block out the nightmare. After a few minutes, tears no longer streamed from her eyes and she gently pushed herself off of Leo. "You okay?" He asked as he brushed her hair away from her face. She nodded. "You wanna tell me 'bout it?"

Hallie sighed, not sure where to start. "I saw my brother," she began, "He was a walker. He pinned me to the ground but didn't attack. He just stood over me laughing."

"It was just a dream," Leo gently replied.

Hallie scoffed, "Well I know that. But that's the one thing I never want to see. I can handle a thousand walkers, but if one of them was my brother or sisters, I wouldn't be able to move on."

"The other day you said that was why you were leaving Lexington," he mused, shifting on the bed.

"Yeah. Guess I didn't get very far," Hallie lightly laughed, running her hand through her hair. Leo smiled at her remark.

"Do ya wanna get some breakfast?"

Hallie hadn't realized how hungry she was. Her stomach was beginning to ache, so it wasn't exactly a bad idea to get some food into her.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

They eaten in silence, of course both of them didn't mind. The only time the quiet was broken was when the two briefly discussed going hunting in a hour. To be honest, they had enough food stored by the previous owners of the home to last them a few days. But of course they would never pass up an opportunity to eat fresh meat or to get put of the house. Leo sat in the reclining chair adjusting his bow while took to cleaning the dishes used for their meal. From what Hallie could tell, the new group spent the morning scouting out the land inside the fence. She wondered if they would stick to their side of the deal, and be on their way by tomorrow. Hallie knew Leo wouldn't be too happy if they decided to stay longer than they were welcomed for.

"After your done do you wanna head out?" Leo said, breaking her thoughts.

"Sure. I'm almost through," replied Hallie as she set the dishes on a towel, allowing them to dry.

"Good, I'll get our stuff." Hallie quickly dried her hands with a towel and followed him into his bedroom. She leaned against the doorway watching him pack some things into a backpack.

"Do you think we should ask them if they wanna come?" Hallie finally said, after contemplating how to ask. She knew he would know just who she was talking about, Hallie didn't have to specify who she was talking about. Besides, who else would there be to go with them?

He didn't look up from packing. "Why would we do that?"

"I don't know, maybe we should get to know the people who are sleeping less than fifty feet away from us," she answered, her voice rising in frustration. Hallie knew he wouldn't jump at the opportunity to share a conversation with the newcomers. He seemed intent on shoving them on their way as soon as possible, for a reason she did not understand. If they proved to be more helpful than walker bait, Hallie wouldn't mind having a few extra people to watch her back.

"We can't trust 'em," Leo shot back.

Hallie rolled her eyes, "Not if you don't give them a chance. All I'm asking is that you let them come." She walked over to his side and placed a hand on his arm, stopping him from continuing to pack. His blue eyes met hers and he seemed to he turning the situation over in his head. "Please, for me."

"Why do you want this so bad?" His voice was low.

"I just think we should see how they've managed to stay alive," Hallie replied, smiling.

"Fine you convinced me, but if anything happens, I'm blamin' you," He said as he zipped up the pack.

"But nothing's going to happen," she corrected him. Hallie was certain no casualties would happen on this trip. At least no human related casualties. She couldn't predict what trouble would come if walkers showed up. Hallie followed the halls until she reached her own bedroom. She tucked her pistol in her back pocket and made sure she had the knife Leo had given her. Hallie met him in the living room, all ready to head out.

"Let's go get ourselves killed," He grumbled. Leo pushed his way through the front door with Hallie following close behind.

"Stop acting like they're Satan themselves," Hallie retorted. She was beginning to get more frustrated as he continued to push them away.

Leo turned on his heels to face her. He was only inches away and towered over her, jaw tight and fist clenched. "If I thought they were the devil, I woulda never let em stay." His eyes had grown dark in anger. He was pretty intimidating in the state he was in and would probably make most women shy away, but not Hallie. Even as scary as he appeared, she knew he would never do anything to hurt her. She trusted Leo with her life, and he did the same. If he ever did anything to ruin that trust, they'd be dead on the spot. Hallie let out the breath she had been holding in, and pushed around him. She continued walking toward the tree and with a quick glance behind her it seemed that Leo let it drop and was following her.

"Looks like we got us some visitors," Sawyer smirked, talking to Kara. She was sitting on a blanket with Noah close by. Sawyer walked up to the pair with a grin on his face. "What brings you two out of the house?"

"We're going hunting," Hallie spoke. "Would y'all like to come?" He seemed taken aback that she was the one to speak up, like he expected Leo to talk. Sawyer looked over to Kara, who was now standing with the same nervous expression as yesterday. He looked back to them, "Excuse me for a moment," he muttered and returned to his sister. They whispered some things indistinctly before Sawyer came back with their answer. "I guess we'll be joining you for the fun." Hallie was relived when he announced that they'd come with them. After the big deal she made about bringing them along, it's would be embarrassing if they decided not to accept their offer.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 

The group had begun to navigate through the forest, looking for any signs of life. They had kept fairly quiet for the first twenty minutes, permitting the occasional commentary from Sawyer. The sky had grown darker with clouds blocking the sun. Hallie was no weather man, but the sudden humid air along with the dark clouds suggested rain was coming. Leo had taken the lead with Hallie, Sawyer, and Noah following while Kara brought up the rear. So far they hadn't come across any life but they had only just begun.

Hallie almost started to comment on the gathering clouds but she was stopped when a loud crack sounded behind her. She whipped around to locate the source of the noise. She was certain it wasn't from anyone in the group when she saw the expressions on their faces. They were frightened just as anyone should be, knowing something was on their tail. Hallie could faintly point out the shape of a human trudging through the trees roughly fifteen feet away. She glanced at Leo who was looking at her. The corner of his lips slightly turned up as he drew out his knife. He started heading towards the walker but Hallie put her arm out which landed on his chest. He stopped in his tracks looking confused.

"Why don't we see how they have kept alive this long?" She said, volunteering the newcomers to take care of the walker.

Sawyer's eyes narrowed at her and he clutched the knife he had in his hands. "Watch and learn." He strutted up to the approaching walker. It was a man with only tattered pants covering its rotten body. The male growled at the coming human, hoping to eat his flesh. With one strong swing from his clenched fist, the walker was on his back on the ground. His moans grew louder as Sawyer kneeled down beside it. He placed one hand on the walkers chest and slammed the knife down into his skull. He repeated the motion several times before standing up and wiping the blood off of his face. "Hope you were takin notes," He jeered.

She caught sight of Kara quietly laughing while Noah had a big grin on his face.

"We should keep moving if we wanna eat to tonight," Leo advised, beginning to lead the way again. Hallie held back, letting Sawyer and Noah pass her. She had been wanting to talk to Kara for a while. She figured she could find out more about them from her than Sawyer. Kara nodded her greeting to Hallie and walked along side her.

"So did you grow up in England? I only asked because I noticed your accent," Hallie said.

Kara looked up from the ground. "Yes, actually I grew up right outside of London." She politely smiled at Hallie and pushed back a low branch.

"What brought you to Texas?" She asked, generally curious.

"My brother," she answered. "He'd gotten in a bit of trouble and I needed a change in scenery." Kara's eyes landed on her brother as she spoke. "We're half siblings," she added, answering Hallie's next question before she was given the chance to say it. "I lived with my father in England while Sawyer was with our mother in Austin. It seems to be a bit complicated, doesn't it?" She slightly grinned.

"I think everything is complicated these days," Hallie pointed out. They both laughed and the men looked back at the girls.

"What's so funny?" Sawyer questioned with his head cocked. Leo stood further back looking impatient. What was his problem? Even if he didn't want to make small talk with them, it didn't mean she couldn't. Hallie was about to make a remark at him but she quickly realized that their talking was probably scaring off the prey. But she didn't care, they had enough food in the pantry that hunting today wasn't absolutely necessary. Of course she would never tell Leo what she thought, that would only piss him off and create a huge mess.

"Nothing. We're just talking, Sawyer," Hallie answered.

"Didn't sound like nothing," he muttered and turned back toward Leo. Leo shook his head and continued walking through the forest.

"What about you? How did you meat Leo?" Kara returned back to their conversation.

"'Bout a week ago my hometown fell to pieces and I left. I didn't make it far before crashing my truck into a tree. Leo found me unconscious and fixed me up."

"Well it seems a though you were very lucky as to of found him," Kara acknowledged. A slight mischievous smile appeared on her face. "Are you two...you know, together?" She had brought her voice down to a whisper.

Hallie was shocked by her question, she defiantly didn't expect that.

"What? Why-why would say that?" Hallie exclaimed, she could hear her voice rise an octave. Kara laughed in disbelief.

"Well, he's attractive, you're attractive, and you're all alone. I mean, it's what people do," Kara scoffed as if it was obvious.

As much as she made sense, Hallie was dumbfounded. She didn't know how to answer. They definitely weren't together, but was there a part of her that wanted them to be? Even in the short time they'd been partners against the world, Leo had grown to be the person she had trusted the most throughout her whole life. In someways it felt like he was perfect for her. Like this morning, he comforted her when she was scared and didn't speak until he knew she was ready to talk.

But of course there was two people who made up a relationship; what did Leo think about her? If he did want her, he didn't let it show that much. There was the two days ago, when he helped Hallie down from the fence and only ended up making both come crashing to the ground. He held her on the ground and was thinking something. Was he thinking about her in that way? Surely not, he seemed like the kind of person to make a move quickly. If he did like her, he would have shown it already. That had to be true. If they actually did get together and it didn't go so well, their partnership would be effectively ruined.

A small voice called Kara's name, snapping Hallie from her thoughts. She came back to reality and saw she and Kara had fallen behind the others. The voice had come from Noah, who had waited for them unlike Sawyer and Leo. "Are you coming?" He asked.

"Yeah, we'll be right there. Go on and catch up with the boys," Kara quickly answered the small boy. She turned back to Hallie with expectant eyes. "Well?"

"No, we're not together," She finally revealed.

"But you want to be?" Kara guessed. Hallie avoided her eyes and looked toward the the sky. More clouds had gathered above them and it wouldn't be long until they could burst.

"I don't know," Hallie's eyes came back down to the woman in front of her.

"Well I wouldn't blame you if you did. I-" The brush beside the girls shook, interrupting Kara. Hallie's hand flew to her knife, expecting danger to attack. She didn't know what to expect, it could be anything from a walker to a mouse. She wished it was only a rabbit or a squirrel, then she could brag to Leo how she would be providing dinner tonight. But Hallie was kidding herself, life just wasn't that kind. The bush shook once more and a mocking voice came out from it. She sighed and relaxed her knife, while Kara lowered her pointed pistol. Sawyer emerged from the trees with the same mischievous grin Kara had on earlier, plastered to his face.

"What's the hold up, Ladies?" He smirked. Leo and Noah followed him out from the bushes, Leo carrying two squirrels and Noah holding a dove.

"We brought lunch," Leo announced with a grin.

"Are we heading back now? It won't be long till those clouds start to let go," Hallie spoke, pointing to the sky.

Leo nodded, "Yeah, somethin' tells me that those ain't just rain clouds."

As if on cue, Hallie felt a drop of water fall on her arm. They began to make their way back to the house and it wasn't until they had hopped the fence that thunder was first heard. Leo had given the others the squirrels and they started to head back to the tree. After they were out of earshot Hallie stopped and grabbed ahold of Leo's arm, catching him off guard.

"What?" He asked impatiently.

"Maybe we should let them stay in the house to tonight," Hallie started, "It's not safe to sleep under a tree in a thunderstorm." She watched as Leo's expression changed from impatient to curious.

"Why'd you change your mind?" She cocked her head in confusion. "Ya know, yesterday. You said you didn't want them in the house."

"I talked to Kara," Hallie admitted. "I don't think they'd try and kill us or anything."

Leo nodded his agreement, "Yeah, Sawyer may act like a pain in the ass, but he wouldn't try anything stupid."

Hallie smiled, "I'll go tell them."


	11. Chapter 11-Beginning

**Hey** **guys! I'm sorry it's been so long since I have posted, I went on vacation for a week and had absolutely no time for writing. This chapter is a little longer than the rest so I hope it makes up for it. And just a warning for next month, I am going to be really busy with color guard that I won't have much time for writing. So chapters may not be put up as soon as I like but I guess slow and steady wins the race, right? **

**BTW, I saw the season 4 trailer for The Walking Dead, and it is getting me so excited! I'm a huge Caryl fan so I'm hoping next season we'll get some action haha. I'm intent on watching it once a night until I can recite every word said in the trailer. Haha I'm such a dork. **

**Anyway, enough babbling from me, Here you go. **

_"All we know is distance, we're close and then we run. Kiss away the difference. I know you hate this one but this is where the story ends, or have we just begun, to kiss away the difference?" -Where the Story Ends by The Fray_

Hallie sat down in the last empty chair at the table. Everyone had hunger in their eyes as they looked at the assortment of food on the table. It wasn't much, but Hallie placed as much food as they could spare on the table for dinner. She glanced at the people sitting around her, Leo was to her right and Kara on the other side. Noah sat beside Kara with Sawyer on Leo's right. "Shall we say grace?" Sawyer asked, taking Kara's hand and holding his other out for Leo. Hallie glanced over to Leo who nodded. They all linked hands and bowed their heads. Once Sawyer finished they all began to gorge themselves with the food.  
"There's a bedroom, first door on the right, "Leo began, after swallowing a bite, "Y'all can take that one, and someone else can sleep on the couch." He looked over to Hallie, "We'll share the other."  
She could of sworn she saw Kara smirking. Great, what comment would she say to her later? Probably something about 'now was her chance' or 'time to get friendly with him.'  
Through the window, the rain was pouring hard and everyone in a while thunder would follow the bright strike of lightning. The others were lucky the let them in the house tonight.

"What about guard? Sawyer gulped down a bite.

Leo arched an eyebrow, "Hmm?"

Sawyer and Kara both exchanged an amused glance.

"You know, watching for, what you call walkers. Making sure they don't get through the fence," Kara spoke, the amusement in her eyes reaching her accented voice.

"The fence is secured, we made sure of it," Hallie assured.

"Well I think we'd all sleep better if someone was on guard," Kara asserted, placing a gentle hand on Noah's back.

"Feel free to do so, but me and Hallie are sleeping tonight," Leo said, effectively ending the conversation. Sawyer and Kara shared one last glance and resumed to eating.

Eventually everyone got up from the table and Hallie busied herself with cleaning up. Kara picked up a plate and threw it in the trash bag.

"Are you two going to sleep in the same bed?" She asked with a slight grin on her face.  
Hallie scoffed, "He'll be sleeping on the floor."  
She gasped dramatically and placed her hand to her mouth, "You mean your not jumping at the opportunity to share a bed with Leo?"  
"No, I'm saying he has some southern hospitality and he's not gonna make me take the floor," Hallie replied as she placed the leftover food back in the pantry.  
"Well if I were you I'd pull the old 'I'm cold' trick and make him snuggle up with me," Kara laughed.  
Hallie was beginning to get irritated by her. She didn't want their relationship to change, no matter what she was feeling for him. Hallie trusted him but she didn't want to let her guard down. If they took their friendship further and it went south, Hallie would be on her own. She would be back to how she was before the outbreak, alone and fighting for herself. That was the last thing she needed right now.  
"If you want him, you could take you know," Hallie countered back.  
Kara scoffed, "Please, he's too young for me."  
"How do you know how old he is?" Hallie didn't even know how old he was. Of course he was in college but she didn't know his exact age, how the hell would Kara know?  
"Sawyer told me," She replied simply. "We weren't the only ones talking while scavenging for dinner."  
Hallie sighed, she would never get Kara of her back about this. And it seemed like the new group would be staying longer than the two days they were originally invited for.  
"Anyway, I don't think we properly told you how thankful we were you let us stay here. We'll figure out a way to repay you," Kara said.  
"Maybe you could stop pestering me about Leo," Hallie muttered.  
"I wouldn't get your hopes up," She chuckled and left Hallie to join Sawyer in their bedroom. She continued cleaning the kitchen, enjoying the quiet. She wasn't sure where Leo was but tried not to think about him. Hallie didn't like how it was so hard to ignore Kara's remarks of them two. It should be the last thing on her mind to get together with him. But it wasn't, the thoughts were pushing their way up to the top of her mind, and she hated herself for it.  
She held an empty cup and was just about to drop it in the trash when a voice spoke behind her, "You look kinda mad."  
Speak of the devil. Hallie didn't bother turning around. Her hands had stopped working, like they had been frozen and wouldn't thaw. She felt his cool breath tickle her neck and was tempted to move closer to him.  
"No," she drawled sarcastically. She forced herself to take a step forward, but only managed to budge an inch.  
"Tell me," Leo coaxed, leaning around her to take the cup from her stiff hands and throw it in the trash.  
What would she say to him? That Kara suggested that they hook up? Not likely, but sooner or later he would hear it from Sawyer. And that wouldn't go to well. Maybe she should talk to him, see what he thinks about it. Hallie couldn't deny the fact that she was dying to know what Leo thought about her. Obviously she wouldn't come right out and ask that, no need to create an awkwardness that should never exist between them. But confessing here was the absolute wrong place to do it, Hallie could almost hear Kara snickering in the hallway. "Later," She whispered, and finally turned to face him. Leo made a face of confusion, but laughed it off. Hallie joined in and instantly became more relaxed. This kind of moment is what she didn't want to ever disappear. The way he could lighten the mood with practically a snap of his fingers. He half-smiled and stood up straight, beginning to walk away.  
"I'll be in our room."  
"So now it's ours?" She called after him. He stopped walking and looked back.  
"We are sharin' it tonight, so yeah. Ours," Leo answered before smiling again. Hallie scoffed playfully and returned to the kitchen.  
When she entered the room Leo was making a palate of blankets beside the bed. She was right, he wasn't gonna take the bed.  
"I was just makin' your bed," He joked, referring to the blankets. She chuckled and jumped on the bed. Hallie landed on her back and instantly felt like she could fall asleep right then.  
"I think your too much of a gentleman to make me sleep on the floor," She said and flipped onto her stomach. Hallie maneuvered toward the side of the bed closest to Leo. He propped himself on the bed resting his head on his elbows while his knees were still on the floor.  
"I guess your right," he agreed, "Is it later yet?"  
Hallie sighed, she guessed it was time to confess to him.  
"It's just Kara bein' nosy."  
"I figured she had somethin' to do with it. Didn't know there was anythin' to be nosy about though," He grumbled. She sat up and crossed her legs. "She thinks we should be together." Hallie searched his face for any signs of, well anything. Nothing showed. Leo got off his knees and joined her on the bed.  
"What do you think?" The curiosity in his voice reached his blue eyes.  
Hallie smiled half-heartedly. "I was gonna ask you the same thing."  
The corners of his mouth barley tugged up as his blue gaze penetrated through hers. Without breaking eye contact he reached over and gently grabbed her hands and laced his fingers through hers. Leo slowly leaned closer and paused when they were only a few inches away. He brought his eyes up to search for any expression on her face. Unintentionally, Hallie closed the gap between them. His lips brushed against hers creating a feeling in her, she hadn't felt in a very long time. A feeling she had missed more than she'd known. She felt his hands ever so slightly, tighten around hers. Their lips separated for less then a second, only for Leo to press his against hers again just a little bit harder. Unwillingly, Hallie broke the kiss.  
"Leo," she moaned, his name rolling off her tongue too easily. "I can't." Instead of pulling back he stayed right where he was. Still just inches away. Her heart was pounding erratically, she was surprised he didn't make a remark about it. Hallie wanted nothing more than to kiss him again. She longed to feel his warm, comforting lips meet hers once more, but she couldn't. She didn't want to mess up what they had.  
"There's someone else isn't there?" He whispered, a slight smile forming. Leo started to lean in again but Hallie broke one of her hands free from his light grip and placed it on his chest. He stopped and looked up at her with the slightest bit of hurt in his eyes.  
"Stop," She murmured.  
Leo brought his face back to fully look at her. "Why?" He breathed. Hallie dropped her hand from his chest and avoided his eyes.  
"If this went...further and...didn't go well, I-I don't wanna lose you," She stuttered out. She looked down at her hand that was still laced in with his.  
"You ain't losin' me," Leo barked out a laugh, so sudden that Hallie jumped. "You couldn't lose me even if ya wanted to."

"I doubt that," Hallie retorted.

He looked confused and hurt, "Why would you think that?"

She shook her head, "Forget it."

Leo scoffed and dropped her hand. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He quickly got off the bed and began to lay down on his pile of blankets. "Won't happen again," He mumbled. "Night," Leo barked out, his tone cutting. She heard him pull the blankets over him, settling in for sleep. Hallie quickly climbed under the covers, on the side of the bed furthest away from Leo.

"Good night, Leo," her voice escaping in a whisper. She knew he hadn't heard her when he didn't reply with a remark. Or maybe he had heard but was giving her the cold shoulder. She closed her eyes, hoping to forget about everything that had just happened. Her hopes were wasted, the previous moments kept coming back. Of course he was mad, Hallie basically blew him off. But his reaction was exactly what she was afraid would happen. If he continued to be mad, it would be a matter of days before he was gone. Maybe even a day until he picked up his stuff and headed for a new place with new people. The last thing Hallie needed was for him to leave her right now. But Hallie had to admit, she loved the feeling of his lips against her own. She didn't have many to compare him with, and even though there kiss had been short, he was far better than the others. But it was wrong, very wrong. Sure she didn't want to stop, and Kara would be thrilled to know they did it, but Hallie didn't want to lose their partnership. And that's exactly what would happen if she would have kept kissing him.

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Hallie woke up to an empty room with the sunlight beaming on her. She groaned when the memories of last night came back to her. She hoped he wouldn't still be too angry with her. Hallie would need to speak with him about it, sort out everything. She didn't exactly give him a reasonable answer for why she pushed him away. She heavily sighed and began to put on fresh clothes. She put her gun carefully in her back pocket, with her knife in the front. After leaving their bedroom, she entered the kitchen to see Sawyer cleaning his gun. Noah was watching intently while trying to do the same. Sawyer was quietly chatting with him, probably instructing the boy on how to clean it. He looked up at her and nodded a greeting. "Mornin'"

"Morning. Where's Leo?" Hallie asked.

"Outside with Kara," He paused to pick up a part of his rifle that had fallen to the floor. "Makin' breakfast." A slight smirk reached his lips. That defiantly wasn't good news. Who knows what she had pried out of Leo about last night. Even though she seemed quiet at first glance, Kara had quite the mouth on her. It wouldn't take long until she got him to confess. Hopefully he knew how to keep his mouth shut and the events of last night were still a secret.

"Did he say anything to you?" She gulped, afraid of his answer and scared that Sawyer would get too suspicious.

He shook his head, "Didn't talk much. Seemed too preoccupied by something to say anything. Kara's probably talkin' his ear off right 'bout now," He chuckled.

"Thanks, I'll find him," Replied Hallie. She briskly walked toward the front door. Once out of the house, it didn't take long for Hallie to spot them poking at the fire. She took a deep breath in and began to make her way toward them. She stopped a few feet away from the flames. Kara, who had been conversing with Leo, looked up and a small smile was brought to her lips. Leo barely acknowledged her arrival and continued to check the food set over the blaze.  
"I'll take over," Hallie addressed to Kara, politely returning her smile. Her small grin evolved into knowing smirk and she stood up from her kneeling position.  
"Good, I'll help Sawyer with the guns," She began to advance to the house, stopping just as she was about to pass Hallie. "He's not much for talking today," Kara whispered in her ear.  
Great, he was still upset about last night. Not that she could blame him. She waited until Kara was out of ear shot before moving to Leo's side. She kneeled down beside him, but not close enough to overwhelm herself with his pleasant smell. "Hey," Hallie nervously greeted, pulling up a piece of grass that had sprouted from the ground. Leo's eyes flicked her way and he nodded his head was once. "I'm guessing the others are stayin' for good. They're making themselves feel at home already," She noted, hoping that would start him talking.

"Probably," Leo curtly answered, prodding at the meat in the fryer. She sighed and threw the grass she had collected to the ground. Small talk obviously wasn't working, Hallie would have to get right to the point.

"We gotta talk," She stated, watching him intently.

Leo finally turned his head to sweep his eyes across her face, "'Bout what?"

Hallie scoffed and rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Don't give me that," She shot back.

"What do want me to say Hallie?" He huffed, quickly standing up. She followed in suit, standing up beside Leo.

"I want you to tell me what I did that made you so upset." It was stupid for her to say that. Of course she knew why he was angry, but Hallie wanted him to say it out loud.

He stepped forward, glaring down at her, "Your really askin' me that?" He sighed heavily and clenched his jaw. Leo broke his stare on her and took a step back. "You know maybe you should answer my question before I tell you what you want," Leo spat back.

Hallie recalled his only question left unanswered from last night. The one that she was afraid to answer, the one she blew off and made him so upset with her.

"Why?" She squeaked, "Why would I think that?" Hallie took in a deep breath, realizing this conversation is what she came out here for. "I don't want this to change. I don't want us to change."

"Maybe change is good," Leo suggested, his eyes slightly softer than the glare he once held on her.

"Every time something changed, I ended up alone. And right now, being alone is what gets you killed," She confessed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes looked to the ground, staring at nothing in particular. Leo sighed, finally losing all sense of hostility.

"Maybe," He paused, seeming to be in search for words. "I think you should forget about what happened before the world ended. Everything's different now, I ain't running away if something goes wrong." A reassuring smile reached his lips and he held out his hand, silently asking for hers. The corners of Hallie's mouth were brought up in a grin and she placed her hand carefully in his.

She knew he was right, and somehow he never seemed to be wrong. It was best for her to just let go of all the things she kept hold of. Nothing that happened before the dead ruled the world mattered anymore. Everything is different now, and the only thing Hallie needs to worry about now is surviving with Leo and the others.

Just as Hallie opened her mouth to reply, a loud scream was emitted beyond the fence and from the woods. She jumped at the sudden noise and Leo was already clutching his gun that he had removed from his back pocket.

Her eyes had widened in fear as she glanced back to Leo, "Who was that?" Hallie asked, her voice barely a murmur. He only shook his head in confusion. Kara, Sawyer, and Noah emerged from the house all with the same look if horror and confusion on their faces.

"Was that y'all?" Sawyer barked out. He held his gun while Kara and Noah each held their own.

"No, it came from the woods," Hallie answered, reaching for her pistol.

"Let's go," Leo said, cocking his gun.

Sawyer briskly nodded. "Kara, you take Noah and get in the house. Watch for them," He instructed. Kara did as she was told and quickly led the boy back to the house.

The three didn't waste any more time and began to run into the direction the scream came from. They hopped the fence just as a much louder and closer shriek was permitted from the woods. Leo began to lead, searching for any traces of trouble. Hallie cocked her gun and pushed the safety off, preparing herself for any danger that may overwhelm them. Leo peered through a bush and abruptly knelt down in the position Hallie immediately recognized. "Walkers," he whispered as he waved his hand for the other two to look through the bush. Hallie carefully pushed back a few leaves and saw a raggedy tent that was pitched under a tree with a campfire blazing just a few feet away. Two bodies were lying on the ground with four walkers feeding on them. The screams they heard were of the people that had just been attacked by walkers.

"We can take these few out our knives," Leo noted, pulling out his blade. They both nodded in agreement and readied themselves.

Leo stepped out from the cover of the bushes first, which caused all four decayed heads to look up from their meal. The closest male stumbled its way toward him and Leo quickly ended it with his knife. Sawyer took care of a scrawny female feeding on the other body while Hallie focused on the forthcoming male. She waited until it was only a foot away before she drove her knife into the top of his skull. She pulled out her blade just as the dead walker dropped to ground. She turned around to Leo, who was on the ground stabbing the last walker.

"They never saw it coming," Sawyer said, standing beside her.

"No, they didn't. Check the tent," Leo addressed to Sawyer.

"Maybe we should be assigning watches. These walkers are really close to the fences. If we're not careful, this could be us," Hallie sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

He nodded, "We'll figure it out first thing."

"The world may have ended, but its just the beginning," Sawyer muttered, carrying two more guns. He was right, it was the beginning of everything. It was the start of the dreaded walkers but it also the beginning of Hallie and Leo.


	12. Chapter 12-Past

**Thanks for taking the time to read! I've been busy with Color Guard so I haven't had much time to write but I got this done last night. And for the quote at the beginning, I'm still amazed that the song actually says Hallie haha. Thank you Ryan Star for marrying a Hallie! Please review:)**

_"You should go to sleep now, you should stay the night. I'll be up to watch the world around us live and die...We might fall, We might fall, We might fall, Hallie we might fall." _

_-We Might Fall by Ryan Star_

The walk returning to the house was a silent one. Surprisingly, not even a peep was hear out of Sawyer. Hallie was sure he would have made some comment of the whole thing. But he didn't.  
They each carried their share of things found in the tent and scattered around their camp. A few cans of food and half a box of ammo for one of the rifles found. The only ammunition for the .243 rifle were the bullets found in the magazine; it would be saved for emergencies like the rest of their firearms.  
Before leaving, the two men had ended the victims lives to prevent anymore of the dead rising. Originally Hallie had decided to take care of one of the bodies, but just as she was about to dig her knife into the skull, Leo's hand stopped her. His soft blue eyes coaxed her into lowering the weapon. She gave into him, and reluctantly walked away while he finished it.  
As they approached the house, Hallie could make out the shape of Kara peering out the window with a rifle in her hands. The three entered the house, all carrying the same solemn look. Kara's face was questioning, while not saying anything.  
"We're fine," Sawyer answered her unspoken question, giving her and Noah a quick hug.  
"The-The screams?" Kara stammered.  
"From a few people who weren't as lucky as us," Leo reported, coming to stand beside Hallie.  
"Walkers got em," Sawyer informed. "We need to start assigning watches. We'll be able to get a better view of the whole place by the barn," Leo said, "I'll go first, then we'll switch out after lunch."  
"Does that mean we're staying?" Noah piped up, looking at Sawyer with curious eyes.  
"I think you've all earned your keep," Hallie smiled at the boy, who in return grinned widely in excitement. Her gaze returned to Leo who was staring through the window. He seemed to he deep in thought, and not pleasant ones. Her head snapped back to the others when Kara issued a sincere thank you.  
Hallie's reply was only a quick nod; she was too intrigued of what Leo could be thinking right now to give her a proper response. They seemed too relieved to notice her distraction and dismissed to the living room.  
Leo broke his gaze on the field and began walking to their bedroom, with Hallie on his heels.  
"You ok?" She asked, once they were in the privacy of the room. He loaded his handgun, pushed the safety on, and placed it in the back pocket of his jeans before turning to Hallie.  
"What you said, after we killed the walkers," He paused, his jaw noticeably tightening. She wasn't sure what he meant.  
"I'm not following," Hallie drawled, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the dresser.  
"That could've been us. I was stupid to think we didn't need watches," Leo said.  
She sighed, "You can't guilt yourself over something that never happened, Leo. The fences stopped them from getting to us, and we checked the fence so nothing could get through us. That is what saved us."  
"If we woulda had watches, maybe we could of stopped those from getting to those people," He argued. There was no point in arguing with him, no one would win this fight.  
"Why are you just bringing this up? You seemed fine on the way back," She observed with hints of aggravation in her voice.  
He scoffed and backed away from her. "I took theater classes in high school, Hallie. I know how to fake a smile," Leo retorted with dark eyes.  
The irritation he had caused her had disappeared and was replaced by amusement. Hallie couldn't contain the laughs that spilled out, and she quickly covered her mouth with a hand. She could never imagine him in any kind of play, he definitely didn't seem like the type.  
"I-I can't picture that," She giggled again. All the anger and frustration left his eyes.  
"It ain't like I chose to do it."  
She arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Leo's handsome crooked smile returned and he moved closer to her. "When I was fifteen, my mom caught me stealing a bottle of whiskey from the basement. The only thing I could think to tell her was that I was gonna give it to my older sister for her birthday. It was a stupid lie and I swear she was 'bout to believe me until she noticed that the cork was gone and about half the whiskey was gone," He chuckled, forgetting that he was mad just a minute ago. "I was so scared that she would beat me and ground me for life but she just walked away. Nothing happened 'till my dad came home. He came up to me and said, "If you're gonna lie, you should learn to do it right." Then the rest of high school they made me take a theater class. I guess they decided to punish me for three years instead of just a quick beating," Leo was grinning from ear to ear after he finished. Hallie couldn't help but laugh even more at his expense, and was please when he joined in with her.  
"And did it work?" She questioned after her laughter became controlled.  
"Hell yeah!," He barked out, "I didn't get to take some of the classes I wanted to do cause of it."  
The laughs had subsided and the only thing left on their faces were slight smiles. Her gaze drifted to the bow laying on the bed, and felt his gaze follow hers.  
"I suppose you should go now," Hallie said with a sigh.  
He reached for her hand, and she accepted. Leo pulled her into a hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head. "Yeah, don't want us to end up like them," He spoke with a teasing tone.  
She smiled against his chest before pulling back to look at him. "Be careful," Hallie advised. He nodded and released his hold on her. Without another word, Leo grabbed his bow and arrows and walked out the door.  
Her stomach rumbled, crying out for food. During the whole walker commotion, she had forgotten about breakfast and now her stomach was complaining. Hallie exited the bedroom and found Sawyer and Noah browsing the kitchen cabinets.  
"Are y'all hungry too?" She asked, opening the pantry door and gesturing to the small array of food placed on the shelves.  
Sawyer smirked, "The one place we didn't look." He picked up a can of corn and carrots, looking slightly disgusted. "Hope you ain't picky."  
Hallie grabbed some tinfoil wrapped food, surveying how much was left from the previous night. "There's some squirrel leftover. How 'bout some stew?" She suggested.  
"Better than anything else, I'll help you cook," said Sawyer just as his sister appeared.  
"Have you seen any bleach around here?" She asked, wiping an invisible substance off her hands and onto her jeans.  
"Never thought we'd be needin' bleach at a time like this," Sawyer chortled at her.  
Kara rolled her eyes and scoffed. "If we are going to stay, we should at least make it a decent place to live in."  
"I think there's some under the sink," Hallie butted in before Sawyer had the chance to say anything else. "We better get started on lunch," She added to him and grabbed the box of matches and another can of vegetables.  
He turned to Noah, "Help her clean."  
The boy groaned but didn't argue and went to Kara's side. Sawyer nodded to Hallie and followed her to the fire pit.  
"Noah sure seems to respect you," Hallie said after striking a match. It lit and she touched it to one of the logs.  
"Surprisingly, yeah. Haven't known him but a week."  
She was taken aback by his answer. Of course their were no obvious signs that they were related–they looked nothing alike for one–but the way Noah looked up to the older man made it seem like they had a past. The shock in her thoughts must have been expressed on her face because when he glanced at her, Sawyer's natural smirk appeared.  
"How'd you find him?"She finally asked.  
"Found him holed up in a cellar," He began, "Said his family had turned and they chased him in there. He spent two days eaten food from jars, and wondering what the hell happened to his parents. Me and Kara opened the door hoping to find some food and he looked half-dead. Didn't take long for him to perk back up though," Sawyer recalled, while pouring the vegetables into the pot.  
"He must of been traumatized," Replied Hallie, looking at him with wide eyes.  
"Not as much as you'd think." He returned her gaze, his smirk disappearing. "Did ya know Leo before all this?"  
She shook her head, "No, we found each other only last Friday. Actually it was more like he found me," Hallie chuckled, and she told him the way they met. She spilled out almost everything leading up until finding the house, permitting all of the thoughts of Leo and occurrences that happened between them that suggested they might be more than two random people who just happened to find each other at the end of the world.  
When Hallie mentioned she was only seventeen, a look of shock began to grown on Saywer's face. "You just took off and left? Without even saying bye to your family?"  
She sighed and bit down on her bottom lip. "I didn't say that was the easiest way out," Hallie muttered. "But leaving is a hell of a lot easier than seeing them as walkers." She spat the last word out with disgust. He slowly nodded in response.  
"Guess I can count my lucky stars that Kara was with me at the time," he finally said. "I don't think she woulda made it this far if she was still in England. There ain't no place to hide there, too many people."  
She recalled her first conversation with his sister; saying she had left her home and come to Texas after he'd gotten in trouble.  
"What'd you do that made her come here? Kara told me she came here for you 'bout a month ago," Hallie quickly added the last part.  
His usual smirk reappeared with a quiet chuckle. "I reckon she told you that yesterday?"  
Hallie nodded.  
"She'd known ya for two days and she's spilling out every detail."  
"I think on some level Kara knew we wouldn't kick y'all out," Hallie reasoned, a grin showing.  
"She's always had a sixth sense 'bout things like that. Knowing stuff before it comes out of there mouths," Sawyer chuckled meekly. Hallie began to stir the food in the pot, making sure the vegetables at the bottom didn't burn from the blaze below. "I knocked some assholes jaw right outta its socket bout a month ago," He started, "Don't even remember what he said that made me do it, may not have said anything at all ; I was too drunk to remember. Next thing I remember I was waking up next to a metal toilet on the most uncomfortable bed ever," Sawyer paused and his smirk widened. "But my opinion of the bed could have been the hangover talking. Anyway, the cops called Kara, seein' that she was the only family I had left. And a few days later she was there, bailin' me out. Didn't say a word to me the hour ride home then she chewed me out the rest of the night." He looked up at Hallie with a laugh trembling his body. She grinned and quietly laughed with him.  
"You probably deserved every bit of it too."  
Sawyer nodded in agreement, "Wasn't a week later till the chompers pushed us out."  
"Chompers?" Hallie questioned him.  
"It's what Kara calls 'em. First one she ever saw was chompin' at her through a fence, I call 'em uglies, and Noah doesn't even have a name for the things." Sawyer explained.

"Leo calls them rotters," She noted.

"It doesn't really matter what we call them, but they ain't humans." Saywer's eyes dropped to the pot and his face grew grim.

"No," Hallie gently shook her head, "They're cannibals."

Her eyes met his and he grinned. "Ugly cannibals."

Hallie let out a breathy laugh and continued to stir the stew.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Leo laid sprawled out on the bed with his hands behind his head, enjoying the comfort the bed had to offer. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. Hallie stood in the mirror, examining the mess she appeared as. Her long brown hair was greasy and tangled, barely being held together by the braid. She felt sticky from the dried sweat on her skin and clothes. Through the mirror, her eyes wandered to Leo. He didn't look any better than herself, if not worse. Even through the filth, his handsomeness remained untouched. His face was dirtied with blood speckled along his cheeks. His clothes too, were bloody. She guessed walker blood was a normal part of their appearance now. If your clothes didn't posses the dark liquid, you had not experienced any hardships of this new world. But there wasn't any people like that anymore. No one had clean hands anymore.

Hallie began to run a brush through her hair, soothing out the many tangles. "What I wouldn't do for a shower right now," she softy muttered to herself.

"Tomorrow we'll wash up from the water hose," he said opening his eyes. She hadn't realized she had spoken loud enough for him to her and was caught off guard by his response.

"But there's not any water" She replied as she yanked hard on a knot. All the electricity that had once inhabited the house had burnt out once the town was overrun. Hallie had tried the faucets around the house, none had even leaked a drop. Unless there was some magic watering hole, she had no idea where the fresh water would be coming from.

"The horses had automatic water troughs, and they weren't bone dry either. There's gotta be a well on the property," he stated in a matter-of-fact tone. The thought of the troughs hadn't occurred to her, but Leo did make sense and she wasn't about to argue with clean water. Hallie put the brush down and turned to face him. She studied his expression; he was deep in thought and seemed a bit confused.

"Who was the first walker you killed?" Hallie Blurted out. She bit her tongue, scolding herself for asking that. But it was a question she had been wanting to ask him since her talk with Sawyer this morning. She felt like she knew more about Sawyer than she did about Leo. He had shared more about himself just this morning than what Leo had told her in all of their conversations. If he was going to be her partner, Hallie would have to learn how he survived before they met. Leo sat up, shocked by her sudden question.

"Well, um-" He struggled for words, causing Hallie to bite down harder in guilt. "It was my neighbor." He slowly sighed. "After my family turned, I didn't have the heart to kill them, so they went rampaging around the neighborhood. They attacked everyone they could. Once I stopped crying like a 'lil girl, I saw what they'd done," Leo looked down at the floor. Hallie hesitated, but sat on the bed beside him. "Mr. McCord, the neighbor," Leo continued, "was the first to notice me come out of the house and attacked me. I didn't know what to do. I pushed him back several times and he kept coming back. I killed him with my pocket knife. It only took an hour to wipe out the entire neighborhood." He lifted his head to look into Hallie's curious eyes. She didn't know what to say, she was never good at comforting people.

"If I woulda just killed them in the first place most of those people would still be living." Guilt flooded into his voice.

"You can't blame yourself for that!" Hallie exclaimed. "Like i said before, I wouldn't be able to do that to my family either. I couldn't bring myself to kill anyone I knew." The guilt subsided from his face and curiously took over.

"When did you kill your first rotter?" Asked Leo. The dark memories washed over her, leaving her slender body shaking. The event that occurred that day threatened to shut her out of the present. Hallie remembered how she felt, terrified, helpless, and most of all confused. She hated not knowing what to do in a horrifying crisis like that. Of course no one had known what was happening. Hallie was there when the pandemic first struck the public and was one of the few that escaped.

Thinking she was cold, Leo moved closer to share his body heat. Of course he didn't know that it was the fear that shot trembles through her. In fact, the house was quite warm, still heated from the day's sun. But for once she didn't acknowledge how close he was or his charming smell that surrounded Hallie. Her mind was too clouded with the terrifying memories.

"I was in San Diego when the whole outbreak started," Hallie began, shakily. "I was there for an interview at (college name). What a coincidence I was in the same city at the same time that the dead started to come back to life," She mirthlessly chuckled. "A student had turned somehow and it didn't take long for him to bite others. Soon enough the whole campus was chaotic. People biting others. Walkers eating people in the hallways. No one knew what they had become and didn't know how to stop it." Another shudder swept through her. Normally after a while memories faded; old ones were replaced with new. But not these. These images were permanently etched into her mind. Hallie would never forget the blood spilled that day, both living and dead. Leo's arm wrapped around her, trying to warm her shaking body. She ignored the perspiration that was tempted to drip down.

"What was shown to the public wasn't half of what went on that day," Hallie began again. "The cops started shootin' at people. Dead or alive, it didn't matter to them. They killed people who still had a chance to escape. After watching them shoot walkers in the chest, I realized it took a head shot to kill them. Out of the whole campus, I was one of the few who made it without being ripped apart or shot." Hallie, still shaking, abruptly stood up leaving Leo was dumbfounded on the bed. She was sure he would never fully grasp the fear and pain she felt that day.

That fear still managed to stay with her at the mention of the dead. Hallie had managed to be free of that feeling for a while, only to come crashing back down at the incident in the supermarket. Every time a growl or groan was heard, the panic shot up her spine, leaving her whole body tingling. She began to grind her teeth together, unsure of how to shake the memories.

She heard Leo move behind her and then felt his strong arms snake around her waist. He began to gently rub her arms, trying to calm the shaking. This time Hallie did realize his closeness. Heat radiated off his skin as his scent overwhelmed her nose. Hallie leaned into his embrace, as the shaking subsided.

"Should I not of asked?" He murmured, his mouth next to her ear. Hallie shook her head.

"No, I asked first." She craned her head to look out the window. The moon was hidden tonight, luckily they found a few candles to give out light. Without the small flame, they'd be stumbling around in the dark just like walkers.

"We should go to sleep," Leo said. She nodded and his arms unwound from her waist. He began to shift his makeshift bed around.

"Wait," Hallie stopped him by grabbing his arm. "The bed's big enough for both of us," She hinted, smiling a coy smile.

Leo's half smile appeared and nodded once. "I thought you'd never ask."

Hallie climbed under the covers with Leo following in suit on the other side of the bed. Involuntarily, she moved closer to him, laying on her side.

"Leo?" She almost whispered. Laying on his back, he turned his head and met her gaze.

"Yeah?"

Hallie dropped her eyes and thought for a moment, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one," Leo sighed in reply.

She softy chuckled before meeting his curious blue eyes again. "You seem older," Hallie commented.

"So do you," Leo scoffed with a crooked grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "Guess our age doesn't really matter that much anymore."

She shrugged, "Kara said you were too young for her, actually."

"Well I'm not too worried about Kara," Leo replied, propping himself up on his elbows. He smiled and leaned forward to place a delicate kiss on her forehead.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hallie's eyes fluttered open, slowly adjusting to the orange morning sun. She extended her arms and legs out across the whole bed, stretching out all of her muscles. The opposite side of the bed was cold. Hallie sat up realizing she was the only one in the room. He must of slipped out earlier without waking her. She laid back down, closing her eyes again.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Hallie awoke with something constricting her. After feeling around with her hands, she realized it was Leo's arms that were around her. He must of done it in his sleep, an instinctive reaction. This wasn't the first time he had naturally shown protectiveness over Hallie either. She thought back to the run to retrieve more ammunition on the second day they had been together. Once they killed that first walker in the store, Leo had placed a protective hand on her back to guide her to the door. Even though it was such a simple and second nature motion, it did make Hallie feel a little safer knowing he was there to watch her back.

Her eyes opened again, landing on her watch that bonded around her wrist, it gleamed 7:53. She sat up and made her way to the dusty dresser in the other side of the room. Hallie sorted through the clothes until she found some shorts and a shirt to slip into. She began braiding her hair, intwining locks of hair until she reached the tip. Through the mirror she saw the door burst open and an out of breath Leo appeared in the doorway. Fright was struck across his face as he stared at her wide eyed.

Something happened. Hallie could feel it and his eyes confirmed it. The terror in Leo's eyes could be from a million different things and Hallie could only pray it wasn't as bad as she was thinking.

"The fence is breached," He stated, still breathing heavily with fear prominent in his blue eyes. "Only a few got through but more are coming." Hallie stiffly nodded and quickly searched for her pistol and knife and returned to his side with weapons in hand.

A small grin played on the corners of her mouth, "Let's go fix this before it gets any worse." Leo crookedly smiled and followed her out of the room, placing a protective hand on the small of her back.


End file.
